Fresh Cherry Sundaes Recipes

CHERRY-ALMOND SUNDAES

Steps:

• Bring 1 pound cherries, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water and 6 tablespoons sugar to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until cherries are tender, about 12 minutes. Mix cornstarch, lemon juice and 1¤ tablespoons water in small bowl until cornstarch dissolves; mix into sauce. Stir until sauce boils and thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; mix in almond extract. If sauce is too thick, thin with more water by teaspoonfuls. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
• Halve remaining cherries; combine with remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Let stand until juices form, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
• Divide halved cherries and juices among 6 bowls. In each, place 2 scoops of ice cream, cherry sauce and almonds.

WARM CHERRY SUNDAES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine wine or cherry juice and sugar; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add cherries and return to a boil. Remove from heat and transfer cherries to a bowl, leaving liquid in pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Strain any juice that has accumulated from cherries back into the pan. Bring liquid back to a boil and boil over high heat until volume is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Let cool until lukewarm. Scoop ice cream into 6 stemmed wine glasses or dessert dishes. Top with equal amounts of cherry sauce and whipped topping. Garnish with almonds and a chocolate covered cherry.

NO-CHURN CHERRY PIE SUNDAES

Steps:

• For the ice cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the cream, vanilla and almond extract on medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks.
• With the mixer running, add the condensed milk in a slow, steady stream until it's fully incorporated. Continue to whip until the mixture holds medium peaks. Add the salt and mix to combine. Spread the mixture evenly into an 8-inch-square pan. Cover the pan and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
• For the pie crust streusel: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toss the sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl to combine. Roll the pie dough out until it is 1/4-inch thick (if it's pre-rolled, simply roll it a few times to flatten). Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 1-inch wide strips horizontally, then cut down in 1-inch wide strips vertically to create a bunch of small squares.
• Transfer the dough squares to the bowl with the cinnamon sugar, then drizzle with the cream. Toss the mixture until evenly combined. Transfer in a single layer to the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.
• For the cherry sauce: Stir the cherries and lemon juice together in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar over the cherries and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture becomes saucy and the cherries start to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch together to combine. Sprinkle this mixture over the fruit, then whisk immediately to combine. Continue to cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Serve warm, or cool completely.
• To assemble the sundaes, spoon some sauce into bowls and swirl it around a bit. Scoop ice cream into the bowls, then spoon more sauce on top. Sprinkle each with a generous amount of pie crust crumbles, and top with whipped cream if using and garnish each with a cherry if using.