Name: Cherry Sauce
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 12 ounces (340 grams) frozen sweet cherries; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons kirsch; 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Why This Recipe Works

This simple, five-ingredient cherry sauce boasts a vivid color and a balanced combination of bright and sweet flavors. We microwaved frozen cherries and some sugar and then cooked the released juices with a bit of cornstarch and kirsch (a cherry brandy) until the mixture was thick and glossy. To finish, we stirred in the cooked whole cherries and a bit of lemon juice to balance the sauce's sweetness.

Before You Begin

This recipe was developed with frozen cherries. Do not thaw the cherries before using. Water can be substituted for the kirsch, if desired.

Instructions

Combine cherries and sugar in bowl and microwave for 1½ minutes. Stir, then continue to microwave until sugar is mostly dissolved, about 1 minute longer. Combine kirsch and cornstarch in small bowl.

Drain cherries in fine-mesh strainer set over small saucepan. Return cherries to bowl and set aside.

Bring juice in saucepan to simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in kirsch mixture and bring to boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened and appears syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cherries and lemon juice. Let sauce cool completely before serving. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)