Cherries Jubilee

The Jubilee dessert to end all Jubilee desserts! ‘Cherries Jubilee’ was created by the great French chef Auguste Escoffier in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond jubilee (although some say it was for her Golden Jubilee in 1882). It was also a well-known fact that Victoria was extremely fond of cherries.

Ingredients - serves 6

500g sweet red cherries, stoned * A few strips of lemon peel
150g caster sugar 1 tbsp of cornflour
300ml water 4-5 tbsp cherry brandy or kirsch
Vanilla Ice cream or Greek yogurt Vanilla Ice cream or Greek yoghurt

* Never soak cherries! Clean under running water and dry

Method

  1. Put the water, sugar and lemon peel into a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add the cherries and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender.
  3. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and continue to simmer and reduce the syrup to its original level.
  4. Dilute the cornflour with a little water, stir into the simmering syrup and simmer gently for a couple of minutes.
  5. Return the cherries to the syrup and keep them warm.
  6. Chill some serving bowls in the fridge or freezer. When you're ready to serve, scoop the ice cream or yogurt into the iced bowls.
  7. Make sure everyone's watching. Then bring the cherries to the boil, warm the alcohol in another pan and set light to it with a match and pour onto the cherry sauce.
  8. Spoon that over the ice cream. If the flame goes out just heat some more alcohol and add to the sauce again.

Enjoy!

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