Controversial cherry soup

with light brandy musings, snow white chocolate crème fraîche, and a straightforward cinnamon stick

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) can pitted sour red pie cherries

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons brandy

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, sifted

1/2 cup crème fraìche

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup crème fraîche

Cherry soup

Make the soup. Drain the cherries, pouring the liquid into a medium saucepan and setting the fruit aside.

Add the granulated sugar, lemon juice (set the zest aside), brandy, orange juice, and cinnamon sticks to the cherry juice and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cold water and cornstarch and mix until smooth. Add to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until the soup thickens. Remove from the heat and chill.

When the soup is chilled, whisk in the lemon zest and crème fraîche and add the drained cherries. Chill again before serving.

While the soup chills, make the white chocolate crème fraîche. Whip the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until firm peaks form. Place the cooled white chocolate in a large bowl. Add a dollop of whipped cream and mix to combine. Gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the white chocolate to make a chantilly cream. Fold in the crème fraîche.

Serve the chilled soup in chilled cups with dollops of the white chocolate crème fraîche.

Quantity: 6 to 8 servings

Moshe Radman