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
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Split the vanilla bean in half and with a back of a paring knife scrape the inside of its seeds. In a medium saucepan, add the 4 cups of cherries, red wine, 1/2 cup sugar and the vanilla bean and it's seeds. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, remove vanilla bean. Keep stewed cherries warm.
2. To make Cherry Chocolate Beinets. In a large saucepan, heat up the oil for frying to 360 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, set aside. In another medium bowl whisk eggs with oil, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and milk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stir in melted chocolate and dried cherries. Roll 2 tablespoons of batter into balls. Fry each side for 1 minute. Transfer beinets to a rack.
3. To serve, place about 1/3 cup of the poached cherries with liquid in a soup bowl. Place 2 to 3 beinets on top and garnish with cocoa-sugar dusting.
4. In a small bowl combine cocoa powder and sugar.