By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(211)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Although this classic recipe was named in honor of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, the method of sautéing cherries with butter, sugar and a splash of Cognac or kirsch probably predates those festivities. Flambéing the mixture helps cook off some of the alcohol and singes the cherries, adding a gentle caramelized note. But you can skip that step and just add an extra 2 minutes to the simmering in Step 5 after adding the Cognac. Serve this warm over ice cream, pound cake or both.
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Ingredients
Yield:2 to 4 servings
- 1small orange
- 4cardamom pods
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 to 2tablespoons granulated sugar, to taste
- 8ounces fresh sweet cherries, pitted (about 1¾ cups)
- 2tablespoons Cognac or brandy
- Salt
- Ice cream or pound cake, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
205 calories; 8 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 28 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 395 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Finely grate about ¼ teaspoon zest from the orange, then halve the fruit and squeeze out 2 tablespoons juice. Place the cardamon pods on a cutting board and use the side of a chef’s knife to lightly press on them, bruising them.
Step
2
In a medium skillet over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, cardamom seeds and pods, and orange juice. Gently stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step
3
Add the cherries and orange zest to the saucepan. Cook cherries until they become tender and release their juices, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the pan on the stove.
Step
4
Pour Cognac or brandy into a big metal ladle capable of holding 2 tablespoons of liquid, or a small saucepan. With a stick lighter or long match, carefully warm the brandy by gliding the flame directly over the liquid (stand back as you do this). When the brandy is warm enough, it will ignite with blue flames. Immediately pour the flaming brandy over the cherries and allow flames to burn off, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Step
5
After the flames have died, turn the burner to medium heat and reduce the sauce until it begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Add a tiny pinch of salt to taste and spoon warm cherries over ice cream or cake.
Ratings
4
out of 5
211
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Cooking Notes
Joe Fiorito
i live in Canada. There are fresh cherries in my supermarket right now. I might add that frozen cherries are magnificent.
Nadia
Whole Foods and I’m sure many other grocery stores sell frozen cherries which are a perfectly acceptable substitute here and work quite nicely. May not be as plump and pretty, but the flavor will be just as good!
go
I know the recipe calls for “fresh” cherries. I live in Washington State. Cherries, when in season, are a BIG deal. For a recipe that is going to be sugared and cooked down in a braise it makes no sense to use fresh cherries unless they are in season and at their ripest. Do yourself a favor and use frozen cherries. They would have been produced in season and will be much better than fresh out of a season cherries. If you can find really good fresh southern hemisphere cherries…knock yourself out
katie
And where does one find fresh cherries in February?
Mclibby
It's easier to ignite the brandy by warming it in a small saucepan, then setting it on fire with a long match. Then just pour it over the cherries. That's what I did when I made Christmas pudding and the flames lasted from the kitchen to the dining room table and a few minutes longer.
Christopher
Costco had fresh cherries from Chile last weekend here in Los Angeles
Laura
Melissa, I am going to make this cherries jubilee and serve it over/with that flourless chocolate soufflé cake for my Mom's 93th. She was a late Valentines gift in 1930. I might have to use the same ethanol in both to keep the flavor pallet consistent. I'll report back.
Juliet Jones
Aldi sells jars of cherries, they come from Germany or Poland if I remember correctly. I think those could work just fine. Anyway, I'm going to try it.
Kale?
Costco frozen cherries. Excellent quality.
cardamom pods?
leaving the cardamom seeds and pods seems flavorful but perhaps not pleasant to chew?? perhaps good quality ground instead?
Karen
This would be delicious with Coeur a la Créme.
Gaby
Delicious. I doubled the recipe, and I made two changes: I toasted the cardamom pods and grinded them. I also added 2 more tablespoons of sugar because some of my cherries were not as ripened as I would have liked. Served it with vanilla ice cream and used the leftover as topping for my french toast.
Jane S
This for me was disappointing - didn't hit the expected mark flavor wise and I was expecting more of a jammy sauce but this is not that. First night tried as suggested with vanilla ice cream. Vast improvement second night when I served with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce, because cherries, orange and chocolate just go together! If I make this again I will double the orange zest and juice, add a quarter cup of sugar and cook it down to a thick sauce.
Molly
When I was a girl, my family's neighbor was hospitalised because her necklace lit on fire when she was being served a flambeed dish.Be careful.
Pepperman
It was great flambé with Calvados
ceh
The cupboard has no cardamom pods and the corner market has none either! So I switched to Helen Corbett’s 1957 version. Delicious!
JNS
Great recipe, easy to follow and the desert was delicious. Didn't have brandy or cognac, a Cointreau sub worked very well. Followed advice to warm up the alcohol before lighting it on fire which worked like a charm.
Meg
There is no instruction in this recipe to remove the cardamom pods. Tiny bit crunchy as you fish them out of your mouth! Next time I will make this with powdered cardamom, or be sure to pull the cardamom seeds out. Absolutely delicious otherwise and definitely would serve 4
aniko
when in season I pit lots and lots of cherries and freeze them. Cherry soups and dessert are all year around treats in our house.
Rebecca
Thank you to everyone that suggested frozen cherries!! I used “frozen dark cherries” and this turned out great! I just added the frozen cherries at the same point in the recipe as fresh. Not sure if I needed to thaw them or do anything else before using straight from the freezer but… seemed to be fine!
Ann Grant
A friend used to make cherries jubilee from canned sweet cheeries (it was the 60's). She flamed the cherries at the table by candlelight in a crockery fondue pot and served with ice cream (I think). RIP Anne Brewster.
Bellaverdi
I prepared the sauce ahead, and reheated prior to serving over vanilla ice cream. Feels like such a grown-up dessert. Also, delicious!
Dean Apple
A few short decades ago I worked as a Maitre D’ at François in Huntington Beach, CA where we prepared tableside such flambéed desserts as Cherries Jubilee (although I do not recall the cardamom pods), Bananas Foster, Crepes Fitzgerald, Crepes Suzettes and Strawberries Romanoff (not flambéed). Loved the article and I can almost smell the aromas reading it and reminiscing.
go
I know the recipe calls for “fresh” cherries. I live in Washington State. Cherries, when in season, are a BIG deal. For a recipe that is going to be sugared and cooked down in a braise it makes no sense to use fresh cherries unless they are in season and at their ripest. Do yourself a favor and use frozen cherries. They would have been produced in season and will be much better than fresh out of a season cherries. If you can find really good fresh southern hemisphere cherries…knock yourself out
dimac
Our Christmas Eve tradition also. Following in my husband’s parents footsteps and finished in their beautiful silver dish. We don’t heat the brandy, just transfer the cherries to the dish, pour the brandy over and light. The only time we’ve had trouble is with an older bottle of brandy so we buy a mini new one each year. Sometimes we just serve over ice cream but, if I’m feeling motivated, fresh gingerbread with ice cream is really wonderful.
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