Cherry Liqueur

Yield: about 1 quart. Mix vodka, brandy and sugar in a large glass measure or medium mixing bowl; stir well to dissolve. Cut each washed cherry slightly to open, leave in pits. Place cherries in two sterile, quart wide mouth jars or one larger aging container. Pour liquid mixture over cherries; stir and cap with tight lids. For the first two weeks, shake jars several times. Let age in a cool, dark place for at least 3 months for best flavor. Strain off liqueur through a wire mesh strainer and discard cherries. Rebottle as desired. Liqueur is ready in 3 months. VARIATIONS: Almond-Cherry Liqueur: For a more prominent "almond" flavor, pit all or part of the cherries. Place cherry pits in a clean cloth and hit with a hammer to break them up slightly. Put broken pits and pitted cherries in jars or large container and continue as directed. Sugarless Cherry Liqueur: Substitute 1 cup apple juice concentrate, undiluted, for the sugar in the Cherry Liqueur recipe. Proceed as directed. The "sugars" present will be natural fruit sugars rather than the granulated processed sugars. Taste is excellent; aging is the same.