Catholic Recipe: Cherries Jubilee I

In 1845 the Christian Brothers, a dedicated teaching order, established a monastery in California. About forty years later, they began to make wines for sacramental purposes, in the heart of California's finest wine district. Soon the quality of their wines created public interest, and this led to a highly successful venture into the commercial market. Thus the Brothers carry on a centuries-old tradition and identify with the monks of the Old World, who, in the Middle Ages and even earlier, practiced the art of wine making, never receiving any personal compensation for their labor but using all profits to further their religious work. The Christian Brothers have collected some fine recipes using their wines, and from these we have chosen the following for your pleasure.

DIRECTIONS

Drain cherries. Reduce juice to 1/2 cup by heating. Mix sugar and cornstarch; stir in cherry juice; cook to a clear sauce. Add cherries, fruit slices, and tawny port; reheat. Heat brandy slightly; add to cherries; ignite. When flames die down, serve alone in the Continental manner, or over ice cream, the American way. As a complete dessert, it makes 3 to 4 servings; over ice cream or cake, it makes 4 to 6 servings.