Twinkly Calling it a recipe is probably a bit much - did a made up myself version, but here goes.
Wash and stone about a kilo of big cherries (greengrocers were ace this morning - have made Damson jam too) Try not to eat more than a couple!
Stick some boiling water in a litre kilner jar to scald it. Pour out.
Shove cherries in jar. Add a couple of heaped tbsp caster sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla essence.
Fill to brim with brandy.
Seal jar, label and put somewhere cool for a few months. Upend every day until sugar dissolved then weekly for rest of time.
Separate the cherries from the liquid to make some really cheap pressies serve as drink (liquid) or with dark chocolate coating/ice cream (cherries)
As for the jam.
Rinse 1kg damsons and score round stones. Put in a BIG pan with:
1kg granulated sugar.
Juice 1 lemon.
Bit of hot water - so the sugar doesn't burn, not loads.
Boil the snot out of it until the stones float out to surface - grab them with slotted spoon to remove.
Test jam on cold saucer for wrinkling/ use jam thermometer (did both)
Stick into oven sterilised jars (a funnel is your best friend) and seal with wax discs/sterilised lids.
Cool and label.
I made chutney and marmalade for most people last year, but also some sloe gin (will probably do both again this year too - heads off to www.Lakeland.com for more jars)