Hot Cherries

In a small bowl, combine the cherries, dried cherries, cherry juice, sugar, brandy, cinnamon and pepper. Gently stir to blend ingredients. Set aside and let stand for about 1 hour.

Just before serving, pour the cherries and liquid through a sieve and let liquid run into a bowl. Measure the juice; if there's less than 1 cup, add water to bring it up to 1 cup.

Pour the juice into a medium saute pan. Whisk in the cornstarch. Heat over medium-high, stirring until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add the cherries, stirring until they are warmed. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of sugar over the cherry mixture.

Pour the brandy over the fruit and carefully ignite with a match or lighter stick. Once the sauce is on fire, return the pan to medium heat and allow to cook until the flames subside.

Serve the warm cherries and sauce over scoops of vanilla ice cream.