Serve small portions in champagne glasses as an elegant overture to a light dinner.

 2 lbs fresh cherries (if you use canned cherries, omit the sugar, add cherries last.
 ½ cup sugar,
 1 cinnamon stick,
 2 allspice berries,
 2 whole cloves,
 3 black peppercorns,
 2 strips lemon peel,
 Pinch of salt,
 1 Tbs. cornstarch,
 ½ cup heavy cream,
 ¾ cup dry red wine,
 Sour cream or yogurt for garnish

 Pit the cherries and save the juice.
 To cherry juice, add enough water to make a total of 3 cups & put that in a saucepan.
 Add the sugar & cinnamon stick.
 Add allspice, cloves, & peppercorns wrapped in a piece of cheesecloth.
 Add lemon peel and salt and bring to a boil.
 Add cherries and simmer for 15 minutes.

 Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons cold water and stir into soup.
 Boil for 1 minute to thicken slightly.
 Cool soup to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

 Shortly before serving, remove cinnamon stick & spice bag, & mix in the cream & wine.
 Serve garnished with dollop (large lump or portion) of sour cream or yogurt.

 Recipes from a New England Inn – Trudy Cutrone
You can purchase her cookbook at http://hallcooking.com/us_regional/694.shtml