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The great French chef Auguste Escoffier has been held responsible for creating Cherries Jubilee in honor of Queen Victoria.Here's Eric's version with the "new" Balaton cherry…

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 lb fresh Balaton cherries, pitted
1/4 cup Michigan maple sugar, or less to taste
1/4 cup cherry brandy like Blackstar Farms' "spirit of cherry" or comparable
2-4 scoops vanilla ice cream, see recipe

optional:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Method:

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and cherries and stir to combine. Cook until cherries are tender and sugar dissolves, about 4 or 5 minutes.

0ptional thickner: if using

In a small cup, stir the cornstarch and water together, for a slurry. Stir the slurry into the cherry mixture and cook for 1 minute.

Remove skillet from heat. Add brandy and carefully ignite. When flame is extinguished, serve immediately over fresh vanilla ice cream.

serves 2 -4