Yield 12 servings

Recipe courtesy Executive Pastry Chef Christine McCabe Tenturi, Sugar: A Dessert Bar

Ingredients:

1 vanilla bean
4 cups cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 cup red wine
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
2 eggs
1 ounce vegetable oil
1/4 cup whole milk
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 ounces dried cherries
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Cocoa-Sugar Dusting, recipe follows

Instructions:

1. To make vanilla stewed cherries, split vanilla bean in half and with the back of a paring knife scrape the inside of its seeds. In a medium saucepan, add cherries, red wine, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla bean and its seeds. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, remove vanilla bean. Keep stewed cherries warm.
   
2. To make beignets, in a large saucepan, heat oil for frying to 360F.
   
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, set aside.
   
4. In another medium bowl whisk eggs with oil, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and milk.
   
5. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stir in melted chocolate and dried cherries.
   
6. Roll 2 tablespoons of batter into balls. Fry each side for 1 minute. Transfer beignets to a rack.
   
7. To serve, place about 1/3 cup of the poached cherries with liquid in a soup bowl. Place two or three beignets on top and garnish with cocoa-sugar dusting. Option: Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Cocoa-Sugar Dusting

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar

Instructions:

In a small bowl combine cocoa powder and sugar.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. Fine Living has not tested this recipe in the proportions indicated and therefore cannot make any representation as to the results.