Cocktail Sour Cherries

Count down to 50! Game on.  Need these guys ready for end of summer festivities. Thank you Cindi for the inspiration. 

Cocktail Sour Cherries

• 3 pounds sour cherries
• 1 1/2 cups super fine sugar
• 3 cups brandy
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 8 cardamom pods

Wash and dry cherries on a kitchen towel.  Combine sugar, brandy, cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom in a large bowl and stir until sugar dissolves.  Add cherries and let stand about 1 hour.  Use a slotted spoon to lift cherries out of liquid and transfer to a clean quart size Mason jar.  Pour liquid into jar - making sure cherries are completely submerged. Seal jar with lid and store in a cool dark place for one month.  Give jar a shake every few days.  When the cherries turn a deep dark red they are ready.  Send out party invites. 

Roast Chestnuts in Vanilla Bean Syrup

It is a chestnut kind of year!

Roast Chestnuts in Vanilla Bean Syrup

• 1 pound chestnuts
• 11/2 cups sugar, plus more for rolling if desired
• 11/2 cups water
• 1 vanilla bean, split

Use a sharp knife to score skin of each chestnut.  Heat oven to 375.  Set a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.  Add chestnuts and simmer about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain and transfer chestnuts to a roasting pan.  Place in hot oven and roast about 25 minutes.  Meanwhile combine sugar and water in a saucepan.  Stir just to dissolve sugar.  Set over high heat and bring to a boil.  Add vanilla bean, scraping beans from pod.  Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  

Remove chestnuts from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.  Peel nuts.  Transfer sugar syrup to a heat proof jar or storage container.  Add chestnuts and let stand until cool.  Refrigerate at least one week before serving.  Chestnuts are delicious over ice cream or rolled in sugar and eaten as a truffle.