Blackberries Jubilee for Two, Inspired by a Chef Who Taught Me to Flambé

June 20, 2026

Blackberries Jubilee for Two, Inspired by a Chef Who Taught Me to Flambé

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close up of blueberries

Blackberry Bounty at the Farmers Market

Our farmers market had the most beautiful, big Texas blackberries last Saturday, and I couldn’t resist them.

Blackberries are such a satisfying summer fruit: so bright, juicy and snackable, and guilt-free, too, because they’re loaded with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, and lower in sugar than many fruits. They’re wonderful eaten straight, but they’re elevated to dessert magnificence when warmed in butter, brown sugar and a few other yummy complements, and then flamed.

And then served over vanilla ice cream (of course).

Learning the Flambé Technique from a Pro

I learned the basic flambé technique for Cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster, and Strawberries Flambé from the late Robert Kunce, a chef I worked for in my late teens. He had been a longtime head chef at the Houston Country Club, and then he ‘retired’ and moved to Gilchrist, Texas, the tiny town on the Bolivar Peninsula where I grew up. The Wharf was Robert’s reservations-only restaurant in the early 1980s whose doors were open only on Saturday nights, with a prix fixe menu each week. These fancy citified approaches to dining out were unheard of at the time in our laid-back beach town where putting on shoes (flip flops) was considered dressing up, but The Wharf attracted guests from other cities and did quite well. Robert was also the chef during duck-hunting season at Los Patos, a lodge in Crystal Beach, and went on to preside over Dinner on the Diner, a reservations-only dining car at the Galveston Railroad Museum. I worked for him at all three places, in a very part-time arrangement (whenever I was in town and available). It was a fabulous learning experience for me, encouraged by my parents, who were close friends with Robert.

To flambé fruit for fab desserts, Robert taught me to use the same basic method and vary the fruit, liquors, spices, and add-ins. It became one of those muscle-memory dishes I don’t really need a recipe for anymore, but I’ve documented it here for the blog, subbing in those gorgeous Texas summer blackberries I snagged at the farmers market for my test kitchen version last Tuesday.

Blackberries Jubilee, a messy, luscious, heavenly summer dessert – or in any season when you want to pamper yourself!

Recipe: Blackberries Jubilee for Two

Blackberries Jubilee for Two

A bright, luscious summer dessert featuring warm Texas blackberries in a buttery brown-sugar sauce with fruit liqueur, lemon and rum, served over vanilla ice cream. A little flambé magic makes an ordinary evening feel like a celebration.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Instructions Notes

Ingredients
  

Blackberries Jubilee
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 cups fresh blackberries (about 1 pint)
  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
  • 2 tbsp blackberry liqueur such as crème de cassis or Chambord
  • 2 tbsp rum
To Serve
  • 4 small scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 1 tbsp chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

Instructions
 

  1. Add the 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp brown sugar to a medium skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter melts and combines with the brown sugar to form a thick, glossy slurry, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the 2 cups fresh blackberries, 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, 1 pinch sea salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice, and 2 tbsp blackberry liqueur. Cook, stirring gently, for another 2 minutes, until the berries soften slightly and release some of their juices. The sauce should turn a deep, beautiful red and begin to thicken.
  3. Pour the 2 tbsp rum into a metal spoon or small heatproof ladle. Nestle the spoon into the skillet without submerging it, allowing the rum to warm slightly above the berries and sauce. Using a long lighter or fire stick, carefully ignite the rum. (This is easier with a partner.)
  4. Flambé the blackberries by carefully pour the flaming rum over the blackberry sauce and stir gently until the fire goes out.
  5. To serve, scoop the 4 small scoops vanilla ice cream into shallow bowls. Spoon the warm blackberries and sauce around the ice cream, sprinkle with the 1 tbsp chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Fruit liqueur: Blackberry liqueur keeps the flavor focused and fruit-forward, crème de cassis adds a deeper blackcurrant note, and Chambord contributes a softer raspberry flavor.
  • Lemon juice: The tartness is important because it makes the blackberry flavor really pop. Add a little more if your berries are especially sweet.
  • Spice variations: Cinnamon, cardamom or allspice can replace the nutmeg for a different flavor profile.
  • Garnishes: Toasted pecans feel especially right with Texas blackberries, but walnuts are delicious, too. Fresh mint makes a pretty alternative.
  • Serving ideas: Shallow bowls, coupe glasses or small rimmed dessert plates let the ruby sauce pool around the ice cream. Use 2–3 small scoops per person, depending on appetite.
  • For a crowd: This makes a wonderful dinner-party dessert. Scale the ingredients for your guests, but prepare the flambé in manageable batches rather than igniting large amounts of alcohol at once.
    Flambé safety: Never pour alcohol directly from a bottle into a hot skillet, and never carry or pour burning alcohol. Keep a fitted lid nearby to smother flames if necessary.
  • Without flambéing: Add the rum with the fruit liqueur and simmer for an additional 1–2 minutes. The dessert will still be delicious, although some alcohol may remain.

Tried this recipe?

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Join Me in the Kitchen

This is a bright, fruity, flavorful dessert — an easy-to-prepare special treat that feels decadent and celebratory without using a lot of sugar. It comes together in just over ten minutes and makes any meal feel like a party, even if it’s just the two of you on a weeknight. Like it was for us last Tuesday.

And the dish comes together so quickly!

Look at the size of those blackberries!
Ingredients at the ready (except for the liqueur)
All stirred together and ready for the flaming!
Light the rum in the spoon first
Then distribute the flames across the dish

Thank You, Robert

I didn’t realize until years and years after my sporadic times working with Chef Robert how lucky I was to have had a sort of informal apprenticeship with him. He had an unfussy, straightforward approach to classic dishes that demystified them for me, and I can still remember some of his instructions, including one for gumbo when you add the trinity to the roux, “throw it in, and stir like crazy!”

I wish I could tell him how much his tutelage and joie de vivre influenced me, but he left us in 2004. I’ll see you on the other side, Robert.

You’ll be thanking Robert, too, my friends, once you make this dish. It’s luscious!

©️ 2026, Glover Gardens

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Filed Under: Desserts & Sweets, Dinner Party, Fruit, Recipes, Sweet Bites & Elegant Desserts
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