The story begins here... mahlepi or mahlab or mahalab is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of black cherry, with a flavour similar to a combination of bitter almond and cherry. As I was cleaning out and checking out what was in my pantry and discovered some leftover mahlepi kernels and ground powder too. By the way, this spice is often used in Greek, Armenian, Turkish and Northern African countries, for pastries, cakes and sweet breads, so you could easily find it in these specialty shops. It’s also cherry seaon so how could I combine the flavours of mahlepi and cherry and almond together ? Dark and bitter chocolate was going to be the carrier for these flavours … And the 3-part recipe series begins here, 2 more recipes soon ! Treat yourselves... :)