Recipe: Chunky Blackberry Sauce

the appetizer:

Get serious about sweets with Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, including treats like Quark Soufflés; Chunky Blackberry Sauce; Honey Caramels; and Lavender Caramel Sauce.

Chunky Blackberry Sauce

by Alice Medrich

Makes 2 cups

With both the bright flavor of fresh fruit and the deeper jammy notes from cooked berries, this is the sauce that you will spoon over a slice of Lebni Tart (page 39 of the book) or any cheesecake, atop a Quark Soufflé, beside a quivery panna cotta, or around a scoop of ice cream. It's less a recipe than a concept, with endless possibilities that include other berries, the substitution of wine for water, the addition of cinnamon or other spices, and/or the insinuation of a few fresh lemon thyme leaves (especially good with the soufflé) into the simmering sauce. Just taste as you go. Or, when you don't need a sauce, dish it into a bowl, top it with crème fraîche or a dollop of fresh cheese, and call it dessert.

3 cups fresh blackberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water or dry red wine
Drops of fresh lemon juice to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons kirsch, or to taste (optional)

Put one-third to a half of the berries in a medium saucepan, add the sugar and water or wine, and cook, covered, over medium heat until the berries release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir, cover, and cook until the berries have collapsed and the juices are sweet, rich, and syrupy. Fold in the remaining berries and just warm them through. Taste and adjust the flavor with sugar, drops of lemon juice, and kirsch, if desired. Serve warm or chilled.