Place the dried fruit in a small bowl and add the hot cider to cover. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring only occasionally, for 8 minutes or so until they are caramelized in spots and starting to soften. Add the dried fruit with the cider, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and glazes the onions, about 4 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
I used dried cherries because that’s what I had and they are my favorite of the dried fruit family (again, I think), but you can use dried cranberries if you wish. They’re cheaper and ubiquitous. And another time I might use those little pearl onions instead of cipollini onions, which will be a bigger pain the butt to peel, but would look super cute.