Cherries Jubilee

As a child, my parents took me everywhere…no place was off limits because I was young or came with a few extra accessories (diaper bag, coloring books, etc.).  Everywhere included restaurants…both traditional/everyday and special occasion/fancy.  I can’t say with certainty but I’m pretty sure being exposed great foods at a young age is where my own passion for food began.  One of my all-time favorite desserts was at a local, upscale restaurant near our home in St. Louis.  After finishing our main course, the waiter (or sometimes the owner) would bring a cart around with all the makings for tableside Cherries Jubilee.  The restaurant has since closed but the recipe lives on in my kitchen and I hope you enjoy making it in your own.

Ingredients

• 1 15oz. can Dark Sweet Cherries in Heavy Syrup (our local store carries Oregon brand in the baking section near the pie filling…picture of the can is below)
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Navel Orange, thick sliced (pithy-end slices removed)  
• ¼ C Brandy (or less, depending on taste preference)
• Long-handled lighter
• Vanilla Ice Cream (enough for 3 – 4 servings)

 Directions

1. Heat wide saucepan over medium/high heat
2. In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbsp. cherry syrup (from the can) with 1 Tbsp. cornstartch, set aside
3. Add cherries and remaining syrup, cinnamon stick and orange slices to pan…cook for about 10 minutes which will allow the cherry, orange and cinnamon flavors to come together
4. While cherries are cooking, portion vanilla ice cream into single-serve bowls
5. Stir the cherry syrup/cornstarch mixture to freshen it up.  Add a little at a time to the saucepan…stirring constantly until the syrup reaches a consistency similar to pancake syrup…not runny (like water) but not too thick (like molasses).  If you find you'd like your mixture thicker, don't add additional corn starch directly to the saucepan as it will clump.  Mix a 2:1 ratio of water to cornstarch in your small bowl and add to the saucepan a little at a time...stirring constantly. 
   
6. Pour brandy on top of the cherry mixture and light with lighter…swirl the pan a couple of times until the blue flames disappear
7. Pour even amounts of cherries and syrup over ice cream and serve quickly as the ice cream will begin to melt immediately.
8. Enjoy!