German Cherry Dessert - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups fresh cherries, divided
3 tablespoons cherry brandy
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons water
12 green grapes (long, seedless)
1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup ground almonds
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons almonds, chopped (optional)

Preparation

Wash & drain cherries, then remove pits & set aside 8 whole cherries for garnish.
Place remaining cherries in a bowl & add cherry brandy.
In a small saucepan, boil 3 tablespoons of sugar in the water to make a thin sugar syrup, then add this syrup to the cherries & stir to blend, before covering the cherries & setting them aide to soak for 20 minutes.
Cut the grapes in half, & put 6 halves in each of 4 glass dishes, before arranging the cherries on top of the grapes.
Thoroughly blend together the cream cheese, 3 tablsepoons of sugar, vanilla extract & ground almonds.
Whip the cream & carefully add it to the cream cheese mixture, then spoon it over the cherries.
Decorate each bowl with the chopped almonds & 2 whole cherries each.