Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Balsamic Glazed Sour Cherries

This is a special, easy course that blends main course and dessert into one, and we originally came up with it for an at-home Valentine’s dinner when were both working all day and wanted something fast and easy, but special. Thanks to the butter oil, it tastes a lot like a cherry infused chocolate croissant.

Needed for this recipe

Sunshine Coast Olive Oil Co. 100% dairy-free Butter Olive Oil
Any Sunshine Coast Olive Oil Co. Aged Dark Balsamic of your choice. We tried it 4 different ways -with Tahitian Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Black Cherry and Cinnamon Pear – and they were all fantastic. I think it would also be excellent with Black Currant, Maple, Espresso or Tangerine.

Ingredients

Sourdough Bread, sliced as if for a sandwich, then sliced in half (as if you had made the sandwich and wanted to serve it in two parts)
Brie Cheese, sliced thinly
Dark or White Chocolate, crumbled.
A jar of unsweetened sour cherries.
Sunshine Coast Olive Oil Co. 100% dairy-free Butter Olive Oil
Sunshine Coast Olive Oil Co. Aged Dark Balsamic of your choice
Per sandwich,

marinate sour cherries in 1 Tablespoon of your choice of dark balsamics. For two people each eating a whole sandwich, you will need 6 teaspoons.

Separate the juice and cherries and set the cherries aside. Reduce your balsamic soaked cherry juice by heating on medium low about 5 – 10 minutes. When it is thick enough that it sticks to the back of a spoon, add the cherries and heat one more minute. Please note: the reduction will thicken as it cools, so if this is your first time, stop sooner and test.  Generally it will be slightly thicker than our balsamic at room temperature when you want to stop reducing it. (You can do this in advance if you prefer. I marinated them overnight, then reduced them in the morning before going to work).

When ready to cook, heat an indoor griddle (375 degrees) or fry pan on stove (medium). Brush one side of the bread with Butter Olive Oil and place on griddle/in pan
Layer in order on top of the unbuttered side of the bread: brie cheese, reduced cherries, chocolate and top with more brie. Place second piece of bread on top. Brush the top of the bread with Butter Olive Oil.
Brown one side of the bread, then flip the sandwich and brown the other side or grill in an indoor panini maker.

Serve hot.

Drink wine.