Mississippi Mud Cake with Chilli Cherries

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves are all spices I associate with colder-weather sweets.  However, in keeping with the theme of chilli, I decided to turn the heat up a little on a traditional dessert on the weekend.  The lure of chocolate was calling me and I made a Mississippi mudcake.  I would normally pair it with a creamy sauce made from coconut milk, but I had something more fruity on my mind as inspired by the Women's Weekly "Bake".

In a pan I simmered some water, sugar, orange peel, star anise and a red chilli.  I added some cherries I had in the freezer and let it all bubble away for some minutes. 

 I let everything sit overnight and the next day the sweet syrup had thickened and the hotness of the chilli had calmed down.  The pairing was divine.