Cherry Topping (or sauce)

It's that time of year people, when pounds of cherries appear in the market!

So when cherry season hits, I'm all over our cherry recipes archives looking for my next bake.

Cherries rank in the top three best Summer fruits, along with peaches and melons.

At this house, we eat fresh cherries a lot; those left get baked into our favorite cherry tart, a simple recipe that includes a custard pie filling that is fantastic.

Homemade sauces are a great way to take advantage of fresh fruit, and a cherry dessert sauce should be on everyone's repertoire.

Simple ingredients

• Cherries: you can use sweet cherries (my favorites are black cherries and bing cherries), sour cherries (such as morello cherries), or a mix of both. I use black cherries mostly. But I do love tart cherries when making jam.
• Sugar: both white granulated sugar and brown sugar (light or dark) can be used. I love the caramel richness that brown sugar adds and use it often.
• Lemon juice: it's the acid ingredient necessary to balance out the sugar. Use fresh lemon juice and not the bottled stuff unless there's no other choice.
• Cornstarch: it's used as a thickener to achieve that wonderful thick syrup.

How to pit cherries

If you bake often with fresh cherries you do need a cherry pitter. It's a little gadget that will make your life easier.

It's the only part of this recipe that takes a little patience and an apron. Make sure your clothes are covered as pitting cherries means drops of cherry juice will be flying around.

How to make cherry sauce

This quick and easy recipe takes only minutes on the stove.

• Cherries: after pitting them, you can cut each in half or use them whole. Or a mix of both.
• Cornstarch: make sure it's completely dissolved in the water before adding it to the saucepan. If you don't, some parts will dissolve well and others won't, leaving small bits of hardened cornstarch in the sauce.
• Cooking time: it takes 5 minutes on the stove to be ready. Before adding the thickener you can use medium heat. But after, cook it for a full minute (or two) at a low temperature so the cornstarch loses its floury flavor.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
• Cherries: fresh seasonal cherries are always the best option, but you can make it with frozen cherries. They have more water content so they soften quicker. Cook them over low heat to avoid breaking them much.
• Make ahead: this sweet cherry sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for a month, always in an airtight container. I like mason jars for the fridge and plastic containers for the freezer.
• Flavorings: I love lemon for this recipe, but orange juice goes very well too. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon or pure almond extract, two flavors that pair well with cherries.
• Sweetness: you can add up to ¼ cup more of sugar if you want a sweeter sauce.
• Syrup: if you like to go heavy on the amount of syrup, double the amount of water and add 1 tablespoon cornstarch total. If you have a lot of leftover syrup it's great for pancakes, muesli or oatmeal, waffles, and drinks.
• Thicker topping: if you want a firmer cherry topping, use a little less water or none at all and only use juice. I've done it several times, especially when using it for cheesecakes.
• Serving it: it's a delicious cherry topping for cheesecakes, waffles, buttermilk pancakes, chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and french toast. I also love a thick slice of pound cake with cherry sauce on the side and some whipped cream. If you're into sweet and savory dishes, this is an excellent idea with pork chops (you can add some balsamic vinegar to the cherry mixture for more punch).