DIANE'S BRANDIED CHERRIES

I'm going to pass this along the way it was related to me, because it really is important to taste and adjust for yourself.

about 1 1/2 lbs. fresh, sweet cherries
about 1/4 cup honey
juice of 1/2 large lemon
about 1/4 cup of your best Cognac

Wash the cherries and get someone else to pit them for you. Meanwhile, combine the honey, lemon juice and Cognac in a bowl or jar and stir and stir and stir, until the honey has dissolved. Pour this liquid over the cherries (they can be halved if you like) and let them macerate in it for a few hours, stirring again occasionally.

The liquid should cover the cherries, and as they release their own juice, they will float in it. Adjust the elements to your own taste, so that it is not too sweet or too tart.

Spoon some of the liquid and cherries over scoops of vanilla ice cream, and serve with a crisp, thin cookie.

Makes enough for 6-8 servings.

EASY SUMMER FRUIT CAKE

My favorite kind of dessert - fancy enough for company, easy enough for anytime. You could have this in the oven in about fifteen minutes, and be eating it not much more than an hour later.

The fruit can be varied. This version uses cherries, but most summer fruits would work. Try sliced peaches, or apricots, or blackberries... But remember to adjust the sugar to the sweetness or tartness of the fruit.

1/2 cup butter, softened
about 1 1/8 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped or ground almonds (optional)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups fresh, sweet cherries (or other fruit)
powdered sugar

garnish: vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, cherries

Prepare a 10 inch springform cake pan by buttering it and dusting it with flour.

Beat the softened butter with a cup of sugar until it is smooth and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Beat the dry mixture into the wet, and stir in the chopped almonds and almond extract.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it gently until it is fairly smooth. Scatter the cherries more or less evenly over the top. Sprinkle the cherries with a little sugar - as little as a tablespoon or as much as two, depending on the sweetness of the fruit.

Bake the cake at 350 degrees for about fifty minutes. The sides should be pulling away from the pan and the top should be light golden brown. Let the cake cool a bit, then remove it from the pan, dust it with powdered sugar, and serve it warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Serves 8.