Festive Pickles

1 (1 quart) jar dill pickles (about 12)
1 small jar maraschino cherries
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 stick cinnamon, crushed
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon mixed pickling spices
2 bay leaves

Drain pickles and cherries, cut pickles crosswise into 1-inch thin slices. Using a corer, remove center from each piece of pickle. Insert a cherry into each. Put pickle chunks into a shallow dish. Set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to boiling, simmer 5 minutes. Pour the spice mixture through a sieve over the pickles. Cover and set in refrigerator for 1 week before serving.

Makes 1 quart of pickles.