Black Forest Sauce (& Cherries Jubilee)

Black Forest sauce has many uses, but the most popular one is for making Cherries Jubilee. This is an old school classic, making use of the woefully-underutilized art of flambe; flambeing caramelizes sugars and deepens flavors. Cherries jubilee is made with cherries and liqueur (typically Kirschwasser), which is subsequently flambéed, and served as a sauce over vanilla ice cream.

Black Forest sauce can also be used as a topping for many other desserts: puddings, custards, in Parfaits, crêpes with or without a filling and whipped cream, over pound cake, cheesecake . . .

The recipe is generally credited to Auguste Escoffier, who prepared the dish for one of Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebrations, widely thought to be the Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Here is his recipe.

Jubilee Cherries
Stone some fine cherries; poach them in syrup, and set them in small silver timbales. Reduce the syrup and thicken it with a little arrowroot, diluted with cold water; allowing one table-spoonful of arrowroot per half-pint of syrup. Cover the cherries with the thickened syrup; pour a coffee-spoonful of heated Kirsch into each timbale, and set a light to each when serving.

In the mid-20th century, French-inspired cuisine and dishes prepared tableside were growing in popularity in American fine dining restaurants. Dishes like Bananas Foster, Crêpes Suzette (orange sauce), and cherries jubilee were a natural fit, adding flair and drama to the dining experience. In the 1950s and 60s, home entertaining was on the rise, and cherries jubilee became a popular choice when hosts were looking to impress their guests with a simple but impressive dish. Delicious and complex, it remains an equally delicious option for serving today.

There have been many variations on the idea of flambéed fruit since Escoffier's time, the most famous being Bananas Foster. Other variations include Mangos Diablo (mangos flambéed in tequila) and Pêches Louis (peaches flamed in whiskey).

To make the sauce, in a small dish, combine a little cherry juice with the sugar and cornstarch. In a skillet, heat juice from cherries over moderate heat. Add cornstarch mixture. When juice thickens, add cherries to warm through. Remove from heat. Pour in warmed liqueur, then flame the pan to burn off alcohol.

For Cherries Jubilee, scoop vanilla ice cream into large cocktail glasses or dessert dishes and spoon the cherries over the ice cream. Top with grated bittersweet chocolate. Cooling the sauce a little will keep it from melting the ice cream.

Note on flambeing

The flames may get quite high when flambeing, so pay attention to anything flammable above and around where you ignite the cherries. When the initial large flame has died down, a small blue flame will continue to burn for several seconds. Shake or stir the cherries gently to expose more alcohol to the flame, being careful that they do not burn. The goal is to have the small, blue flame burn for as long as possible, thereby reducing the raw alcohol flavor, caramelizing the sugars, and entertaining your guests!

To Make Black Forest Sauce with Fresh Cherries

1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 pound Bing or other dark, sweet cherries, rinsed and pitted (or use frozen pitted cherries)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon cherry extract
1/4 cup Kirsch (cherry brandy) - could sub cognac, brandy, bourbon, etc.

Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a wide saucepan. Stir in the water and orange juice; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking until thickened. Stir in the cherries and orange zest, return to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the cherries from the heat, and stir in the cherry extract. Pour in the Kirsch, and ignite with a long lighter. Gently shake the pan until the blue flame has extinguished itself. Spoon the cherries over the bowls of ice cream.