• 12 to 16 cherries, pits removed
  • Zest and juice of one orange
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 loaf of French or your favorite bread, sliced
  • Softened butter
  • 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

After homeschooling for eighteen years, my life is about to change. Both of my boys will be heading off to college in less than two weeks! Nathaniel will be graduating from Campbell University in May and Alexander will be entering as a freshman. In some way I feel like I am retiring, so I am very thankful for the joy I receive from sharing recipes with all of you and hosting of Cooking with Elise. Next chapter…

Savoring the time I have with the boys, I asked them if they wanted to help me make these paninis today. Chocolate, cherries, orange and almonds…does it get any better? These were the ingredients we played with this morning. So easy to prepare, this breakfast/brunch/dessert…whatever you’d like to call it is super delicious and easy!

We began by sauteing cherries, the zest and juice of one orange, ground cinnamon, agave nectar, a touch of almond extract and a pinch of salt. We cooked it for about five minutes just until the juices thickened and the cherries softened.

We melted milk chocolate chips in a makeshift double boiler. Melting chocolate is very easy. Heat water in a saucepan about one-third of the way up. Do not allow the water to boil. Place a stainless or glass bowl that fits nicely on top of the pan. Make sure that no water touches the bottom of your pan. Your chocolate will seize if it comes in contact with the water and this means even steam. You can even use a chocolate spread if you have that in your pantry or cupboard.

We had a loaf of French bread ready to be enjoyed, but Challah, Italian, whole grain or your favorite bread can be used.

We buttered one side of each bread and placed the buttered-side down onto a plate. This helped keep the bread from moving, so we could spread the melted chocolate on the opposite side. We used about 2 tablespoons of melted chocolate per sandwich, but this will depend on how large your slices are and how much chocolate you prefer. We LOVE chocolate! We then spread the warm cherries on top, covered with the other slice of bread – buttered-side up. We placed the sandwich in our panini maker (a George Foreman Grill works great, too) and grilled it until we achieved a nice golden brown color. For some of the sandwiches we sprinkled toasted almonds inside and on one side of the sandwich.

The result…happy bellies and smiles galore! The boys and I loved this panini and we can’t wait to experiment with other flavors.