Cherries Jubilee!

Dear Cecily,

What a wonderful dinner we had last week! The food was absolutely delicious and the dessert was fabulous. In fact, I would really appreciate it if you could send me the recipe for the Cherries Jubilee. I would love to see if I can do it too.

Thanks again for the invitation, we had a great time.

Sincerely,
Eric from Boston

Dear Eric,

It was wonderful to see you at our home. Thank you for adding so much to the evening. I would love to share my recipe for Cherries Jubilee with you. It is a favorite of ours. A flaming dessert is a wonderful way to end an evening. Enjoy!

Happy Flaming and Happy Cooking,
Cecily


Cherries Jubilee

2 cans high quality pitted black cherries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 peels of lemon skin (easiest to use a vegetable peeler)
1 ½ half teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
¾ teaspoon cardamom
¾ cup high quality warm cognac
vanilla bean ice cream

1) Prepare the stand for your chafing dish by putting it on the table in front of guests.
2) Pour the juice from the cherries into a wide, shallow saucepan over the stove.
3) Turn stove heat to medium.
4) Add the sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom to the saucepan and stir constantly until thick.
5) Let the mixture boil for about 3 minutes until flavors are saturated, stirring frequently.
6) Carefully remove the lemon peels and pour the cherries into the pan to warm.
7) Stir until the cherries are warmed through.
8) Pour Cherries Jubilee into your chafing dish and carefully pour warmed cognac over the top.
9) Bring to the table and use a match to light it on fire. (My husband loves this job!)
10) Place on chafing dish stand and let it flame beautifully.
11) Bring dessert dishes to the table with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.
12) While the Cherries Jubilee is still flaming, ladle cherries and sauce over the ice cream and serve immediately. Enjoy!