Ingredients

100ml red wine
100ml prosecco
75g golden caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 thyme sprig
2 vanilla pods
split and seeds scraped out
600g cherries
pitted and cut in half
For the caramelised almonds
50g golden caster sugar
75g blanched roasted almonds
For the whipped mascarpone
100ml double cream
100g mascarpone
2 tbsp icing sugar

Method
step 1
To make the poaching liquor, put the wine, Prosecco, sugar, cinnamon, thyme sprig and vanilla pods with seeds in a large saucpan. Bring to a simmer, then drop in the cherries. Simmer for 3 mins, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Can be prepared 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.

step 2
To make the caramelised nuts, tip the sugar and 25ml water into a saucepan. Heat gently without stirring until the sugar melts, then keep cooking until you have a golden caramel. Add the nuts to the pan, stir until they are coated in caramel, then tip onto a sheet of baking parchment and leave to cool. Once set, break the caramel into pieces.

step 3
While the cherries and almonds are cooling, whisk the cream, mascarpone and icing sugar in a bowl to stiff peaks, then set aside. When the soup is cool, remove the vanilla pods, cinnamon stick and thyme sprig, then ladle into dessert bowls. Top with a large spoon of mascarpone and caramelised nuts.