Disclosure: I was given a gift card to order spices as compensation for this post, however as always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ever wonder why your spices don’t always “spice things up” the same way every time? A little secret – sometimes spices sit on store shelves a bit too long and lose their potency. If you saw my spice cabinet you would see I’m a spice addict and that I am a little particular about my spices.

I was introduced to The Spice House through a subscription box and fell in love. The spices are top quality and fresh, so when my friend Colleen at Souffle Bombay asked me to be part of a gigantic giveaway I was all in. You need to try these spices. You know, tasting is believing, and you’ll definitely believe it with these knock out Chocolate Cherry Pies made finger food ready.

The Spice House Giveaway and Chocolate Cherry Pie Recipe

The Spice House History

The Spice House opened its doors back in 1957, and today has both a robust online business as well as 5 locations throughout Chicago and Milwaukee. With over 600 products from at least 50 different countries, including pure spices and herbs, spice blends, salts, and extracts, their taking the cooking world by storm, from home cooks to top chefs such as some of my favorites, Alton Brown and Julia Child!

Tom & Patty Erd took over Patty’s parents’ business back in 1993 and have built The Spice House into what it is today—a resource for incredible spices and seasonings, as fresh as you can get them at an affordable price. They scour the world for the best ingredients and spices. From large farm collaboratives in exotic countries to boutique farmers who specialize in items not commercially produced, like one special connection they have with a friend’s mother who just so happens to own a vanilla plantation in Tahiti, where only a limited amount of beans are produced and they’re very expensive. “We have a really great connection with that farm, and we’ll get maybe 20 pounds of Tahitian vanilla beans each month”.

The things I love about The Spice House are the things they are known for—the most important is fresh spices. To bring you the freshest ingredients possible, The Spice House grinds and blends their spices and seasonings in small batches right in their stores which is why as you approach a store and walk through its doors you are greeted with an intoxicating aroma!

The second reason I love The Spice House is that they not only offer quality but affordability. Many of their spices come in pretty glass jars, however you can also order many varieties in bags (as well as in salt-free versions), and they have awesome pricing. On top of that, you aren’t stuck ordering and waiting forever to get your order. They are prompt and quick with delivery. Once you try The Spice House you are sure to fall in love with their quality, pricing, and friendly service!

Chocolate Cherry Pie Recipe

A Recipe Using The Spice House Spices

Chocolate and cherry—a love affair. Have you ever had a Black Forest Cake? It’s my favorite cake of all time when done well. The rich bite of dark chocolate mixed with sweet cherries makes my heart sing. I was searching for what I wanted to buy on The Spice House website and came across cocoa nibs. Chocolate is the best so why not try a new form of it? I opened the package, took a taste, and instantly thought of my favorite cake. I wanted to make it party friendly so I decided to take those flavors and make little Chocolate Cherry Hand Pies.

I’m all about making that wow dessert that is secretly so unbelievably easy you won’t, well, believe it. These Chocolate Cherry Pies have surprising ingredients with just a little bit of sugar added and the rich filling goes beautifully with my buttery flaky pie crust recipe. I am so in love with cocoa nibs because with my tree nut allergy I can’t have nuts. Cocoa nibs add that nutty texture I’ve been missing. They’re kinda good to eat alone too, I must admit.

Chocolate Cherry Hand Pies Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Hand Pies and The Spice House Giveaway

Print Recipe

Author: Heather McCurdy

Ingredients

Scale

1 pie crust dough
3 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted and mashed
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa nibs
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 egg, beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
Heat cherries, cocoa nibs, balsamic vinegar, and sugar until bubbling.
Dissolve cornstarch in water and add to pan.
Stir frequently until thick.
Stir in unsweetened chocolate until melted.
Roll and cut out pie dough into 3 inch rounds.
Brush dough circles with beaten egg.
Add a small spoonful of chocolate cherry filling to center of one dough round.
Top with second dough round, crimp edges closed and cut slit in middle of pie top.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden on top. If you don’t brush top with egg it will not brown.)