Berry Sauce

Fresh berries and berries sauce atop any dessert transform it from ordinary to irresistible.

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Berry Sauce

Planning

  • Prep Time:

    10 minutes

  • Bake/Cook Time:

    10 minutes

  • Chill/Set Time:

    30 minutes

  • Servings:

    12 servings or 3 cups

Preparation

  • Materials

    Saucepan
    Mixing Bowl
    Sieve
    Spatula
    Blender
    Plastic Wrap

  • Prep

    Clean berries and puree them in a blender.
    Strain the juice through a sieve. This is the most time consuming part of the process.
    Pour them into the saucepan.

  • Oven/Stove

    Berries are cooked down in a saucepan on the stovetop.

  • Shopping List

    Strawberries (or other berry)
    Oranges
    Lemons
    Granulated Sugar
    Corn Starch
    White Wine

Ingredients & Steps

  • Ingredients

    Strawberries (or other berries) - fresh 2lbs
    Granulated Sugar 1 cup
    Lemon Juice 1-2 tbsp
    Lemon Zest 1 tbsp
    Cornstarch 1 tbsp

  • Steps

    STEP 1: Cook the berries, sugar, and zest, in a saucepan over medium heat while stirring continuously. Continue until the berries break down and sugar is thoroughly dissolved (5-10 minutes).

    STEP 2: Press the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a mixing bowl (yes, again).

    STEP 3: Mix the cornstarch and lemon juice together, then mix it into the sauce. The sauce will thicken into a glossy syrup almost instantly. If for any reason your sauce doesn’t thicken, add more cornstarch.

    STEP 4: Cool the sauce to room temperature.

    STEP 5:  Cover the sauce with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to thoroughly chill.

Notes

FLAVORING
The sauce will have the flavor of the berries. Any kind of berry needs lemon to bring out the flavor. Add more lemon zest for more tanginess. Add various liquors or fruit juices to the simmer to balance or enhance the fruit's natural tartness.

COLORING
The sauce will take on the color of the berries. You can add a little gel coloring if you want to add more color or darken the sauce.

DECORATING
Berry sauces are drizzled over hot or cold desserts and toppings with fresh berries.

PAIRING
Cheesecake gets a variety of flavors from the berries on top and berry sauce that is or drizzled it. Use the same cheesecake recipe and different berries to instantly have different flavors.

Fresh berries and drizzled sauce are delicious over any cake. I particularly like it over cream cheese frosting, meringue or whipped cream or icing. Think rich berries with sauce over Devil’s Food Cake, Milk Chocolate Frosting, White Chocolate Ganache, Black Forest Cake or Yule Log.

Serve over vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
Serve over warm apple or rhubarb pie with or without ice cream or whipped frosting.

SERVING
Chill the sauce before using then drizzle over dessert.

STORING
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

TIPS
You can add more or less sugar to taste.
Vanilla: Add a ½ tsp vanilla for a smoother flavor.
Butter: Melt in 1 tbsp of butter at the end when you remove from heat to add a rich mouth-feel.

TROUBLESHOOTING
If the berry sauce is too thin, add more cornstarch. Just mix a little at a time in cold water or lemon juice (or cold fruit juice) and stir until the sauce thickens.

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