Malbec Wine-Poached Cherries

Cherries and red wine makes sense together. Both red, lush, equal parts sexy and intoxicating. Together, they're magic and an easy dessert on its own or served atop slices of cake, scoops of ice cream, your morning yogurt, a stack of pancakes--really anything you can imagine!

These Malbec-poached cherries are simple to make. A few ingredients in a pot, a bit of a simmer, and then your work is done.

You can enjoy them right away if you must, but I recommend dropping them into a jar and popping in the fridge for at least a few days. The longer they sit, the lovelier they'll taste.

I served these on top of a flan, but the options are endless.

(Sealed into a pretty jar with a label, these would make a beautiful homemade hostess gift, too!)

If you're looking for pairings, I suggest serving these with a simple cake like my favorite Olive Oil Cake or over a few scoops of Homemade Honey Ice Cream!

What would you love to serve these with?

Malbec Wine-Poached Cherries Recipe
These simple poached cherries can be served on their own or as an accompaniment to other desserts.

Ingredients
2 cups malbec wine
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds red cherries, pits and stems removed
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine wine, sugar, cinnamon. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a knife and scrape out the seeds. Drop the scrapped bean, the seeds and salt into the wine. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add the cherries and lower heat to a gentle simmer. Let simmer 20 minutes or until cherries are tender. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract, and let cool to room temperature. Serve immediately, or transfer to a glass jar and store in refrigerator. Can be served cold or slightly rewarmed, as desired.