Okay, so this one is a local find (though it is available nationwide online). I recently came across a family run Atlanta-based company called Cherries Divine. Cherries Divine is run by husband-and-wife team Andy and Stacey Freeman, who have adapted a family recipe from Andy’s mother Linda in-order to make the cherry treats they now ship all over the country.

Cherries Divine Chocolatiers creates long-stemmed, hand-dipped, gourmet chocolate-covered cherries, using a recipe that dates back generations. Each uniquely flavored maraschino cherry (though I must say I would have have highly preferred an untreated cherry) from the Columbia River Gorge is enveloped in butter cream and then hand-dipping in milk, white or dark chocolate. The long-stems are kept purposely intact, resulting in a beautifully crafted confectionery, as whimsically entertaining as it is decadent.

There are a number of gift options to choose from (these really aren’t your everyday candy to keep around the house, this is an item you give to somebody special). I had the pleasure of sampling the Divine Medley (a trio of all three chocolate coverings) but found the Black Tie Affair to be the most visually engaging; the cute little dressed-up cherries making the perfect seat gift at a wedding! Take a look, it’s something slightly different for that chocolate lover in your life…

You can find Cherries Divine online.

-bryan