From time to time, we have Manhattans while hanging around the apartment. We never buy Maraschino cherries though, so they’re never quite right to me. This past Christmas, I was thinking about what I could make and give away. I usually do something chocolate or even cookies, but this year I wanted to do something different. I thought, why not try making my own maraschino cherries? Of course, I didn’t look for maraschino liquor, but brandy works just as well. And for those that like different bitters, you can use whatever spices you like in your bitters in the cherries to personalize them.
Brandied Cherries
1 pound cherries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 cup brandy
Heat the water and sugar in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Add the spices and turn off the heat. Add the brandy and the cherries and stir to combine. Put into clean canning jars and they are ready within 2 weeks!
Great idea – maraschino cherries are definitely wrong, these sound much nicer