Chocolate Cherry Cream Pots

Cherries are one of those fruits that look like they should be sweeter than they are, and that is part of why they suit a dessert like this one. Cooking them gently for a few minutes softens the flesh and draws out a deep, winey juice, so you need very little sweetening to make them taste like a treat. Sweet cherries are at their best in the early summer months, but a bag of frozen ones works just as well here, so this pot is not waiting on a season.

The pots are built in three layers, and the order matters. The softened fruit goes in first, so it sits at the bottom and its juice can settle into the glass. The quark cream comes next. Quark is a fresh, soft cheese that is common across northern Europe and sits somewhere between yoghurt and cream cheese, with a clean tang that stops the pot from tasting flat. If you cannot find it, a low-fat soft cheese does the job nicely. The chocolate sauce goes last, and it is worth the small extra effort. Dark chocolate and a spoonful of cocoa give it a bitter edge that plays well against the sweet fruit, and the golden syrup gives it a gloss that looks lovely when it catches the light.

A tip from my own kitchen: stir the cherries and the chocolate sauce every so often while they cool. Both can form a skin that ends up sitting on top of your cream like a wrinkled lid. A quick stir keeps everything smooth. If you find the chocolate sauce goes a little thick once chilled, loosen it with a teaspoon of warm water before layering.

These pots keep well in the fridge for a day, covered, so they are a good make-ahead choice for a dinner party. Keep the cherry garnish until just before serving so the stalk-free fruit stays bright. Leftover cherry compote is handy too. Spoon it over plain yoghurt at breakfast, or stir it into a bowl of porridge.

For something to serve alongside, a plate of crisp biscuits is a good partner. A simple cookie like Crackly Cocoa Drop Cookies echoes the cocoa, and a light, creamy Creamy Vanilla Panna Cotta with Berry Compote makes a sensible second dessert if you are feeding a crowd. For a crunchier, more wholesome option, try Crunchy Wheat Biscuit and Apricot Cookies, which pair nicely with the cherries. Hot coffee or a mint tea finishes the meal well, and the bitterness of both suits the dark chocolate.