By New Year's Eve. The Riveras don't go to parties — we've never been party people, not Roberto and Elena, not me and Jessica. We stay home. We cook. We eat. We watch the ball drop on TV and kiss at midnight and pretend we're not exhausted. This year Sofia stayed up until 10 PM, which she considered midnight, and we let her believe it. Diego was asleep by 7. Jessica and I made it to the actual midnight by sheer stubbornness and a second bottle of wine.
I made a New Year's Eve feast: carne asada (always), street corn (elote, grilled and slathered with crema, cotija, chile, and lime), and churros. The churros were a first — I've never fried churros at home, and the process is both simpler and more dangerous than I expected. The dough is just water, butter, flour, and eggs, piped through a star tip and fried in oil until golden. The danger is the oil. The danger is always the oil. I am a firefighter who fries food at home, which is the culinary equivalent of a surgeon who skydives. Jessica stood by with a fire extinguisher. I told her she was being dramatic. She was not being dramatic.
The churros came out perfect — crispy, golden, rolled in cinnamon sugar while still hot, served with a chocolate dipping sauce made from Mexican chocolate, cream, and a pinch of cayenne. Sofia ate four. Jessica ate three. I ate however many were left, which was a number I'm not putting in writing because it's embarrassing for a man who keeps a diabetes recipe notebook for his father.
2019. A new year. I spent the quiet hours after midnight — Jessica asleep, house dark, the faint sound of distant fireworks from the neighbors who have more energy than us — sitting in the backyard with my coffee (yes, coffee at 1 AM, because I'm a firefighter and caffeine is a food group) and thinking about what's ahead. Sofia turns five in February. Diego turns two in August. I'll have been a Captain for six months by then. The recipe notebook has fifty-three recipes. I've won two BBQ competitions. Roberto's diabetes is managed, not cured, not gone, but managed. Jessica's career is steady. The grill is clean. The coals are ready.
I don't make resolutions. Roberto says resolutions are for people who need permission to change. "If you want to change, mijo, just change. Don't wait for January." He's right. But if I were going to make one, it would be this: cook more. Not more food — more moments. More meals that mean something. More plates passed to neighbors. More bowls of stew at the firehouse. More tortillas at my parents' table. More of the thing that makes me who I am.
2019. Let's cook.
The churros were the star that night — but honestly, it was the Mexican chocolate dipping sauce that had me thinking for weeks afterward. That combination of deep chocolate, warm spice, and just enough heat from the cayenne stuck with me in a way that plain desserts never do. These Chocolate Lebkuchen Cherry Balls hit that same nerve: rich chocolate, aromatic spice, a little tartness from the cherry to cut through it all. They’re the kind of thing Roberto would wrap in a paper towel and eat standing over the kitchen sink, which in our family is the highest possible compliment.
Chocolate Lebkuchen Cherry Balls
Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 1 hr 25 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 36 balls
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers (about 15 full sheets)
- 1 cup dried tart cherries, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground anise
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, but recommended)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped, for coating
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
- Cocoa powder or powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Mix the base. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, anise, cayenne, and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
- Fold in dry ingredients. Stir in the crushed chocolate graham crackers and chopped dried cherries by hand until the mixture holds together. It should be firm enough to roll — if it feels too sticky, add another 2 tablespoons of crushed crackers.
- Roll into balls. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, portion the mixture and roll into 1-inch balls between your palms. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill. Refrigerate the rolled balls for at least 45 minutes, or until firm. This step is important — cold balls coat in chocolate cleanly without falling apart.
- Melt the chocolate. Combine the chopped dark chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes before dipping.
- Coat the balls. Using a fork or dipping tool, drop each chilled ball into the melted chocolate, roll to coat fully, and lift out letting excess drip off. Return to the parchment-lined sheet. Work quickly — the cold balls will set the chocolate fast.
- Dust and set. While the chocolate coating is still slightly tacky, dust lightly with cocoa powder or powdered sugar. Let the balls set at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator until fully firm.
- Serve. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 95 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 45mg