In a large mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water with sugar and yeast from "The Plain Portion" ingredients, and stir to dissolve (there may be small clumps that don't blend in very well - this is okay). Allow this mixture to rest about 10 minutes, or until slightly risen and bubbly.

Add the oil, honey, molasses, salt, beaten egg, and dried cherries; stir to combine. Stir in the flour, and knead on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes, adding a little more flour if the dough is sticky. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic, and set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, follow the directions from steps 1&2, but this time using the ingredients from "The Chocolate Portion," again adding a little extra flour if the dough is sticky. Allow both portions of dough to rise 1 hour or until doubled.

Note: To test if the dough is risen enough, stick your finger into the dough - if an indentation remains without shrinking back where your finger was, it is ready to use.

When the dough has risen enough, punch it down in both bowls to remove any air bubbles. Turn each portion out onto a clean work surface. Divide each portion of the dough into 12 evenly divided portions (each should weigh about 100 grams) - for a total of 12 plain pieces of dough and 12 chocolate ones (24 total).

Press 1 plain and 1 chocolate piece together, cut that in half, and then roll each portion of blended dough into a long rope, about 12 inches long. Twist the rope a little to make a candy-cane stripe pattern, and bring the ends together with about a 1-inch overlap, pinching the ends together firmly to seal. Roll over the pinched portion of dough a couple of times, with your hand in the hole of the bagel, to make the seam a little smoother and more uniform. Set the finished bagel onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and repeat with the other bagels until all 24 have been shaped and placed on parchment lined baking sheets. The holes in the centre of the just-shaped bagels should be large enough to fit a golf ball inside snugly.

Note: If the dough is sticky, you can use a little flour on the work surface to prevent sticking. Also, I like to make my bagel holes a bit on the small side, so I usually roll them with 3 fingers in the hole instead of my whole hand.

Drop 3-5 bagels into the boiling poaching syrup (depending on the size of your pot - you want them to have room to expand without overlapping each other), and allow them to poach 1 minute on each side, but not longer. If anything, take the bagels out slightly before they reach the 1 minute mark per side. Lift the bagels out of the water using a slotted spoon or fork, allowing them to drip slightly before setting them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. The bagels should double in size during this step.

Note: If the bagels sink to the bottom of the pot instead of floating on the top of the water, they aren't risen enough. The bagels should float right after you drop them in.

Allow the bagels to cool slightly, and then re-attach the ends of any bagels that broke open during the poaching process. (The dough should be a sticky, spongy texture at this step.) 

Note: When the bagels have been twisted for that "Ribboned," striped look, it will be a little more tricky to figure out how the ends should re-attach if they come apart in the water (which some of them are likely to do); however, don't worry too much about that - just find a way to stick them back together in a ring, as smoothly as you can. To avoid the bother, if you prefer, you can roll the bagels without twisting the dough (as in step 5), making them striped bagels which will be much easier to re-attach if they come apart in the poaching process.

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.