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Give your ice cream a summery upgrade with a big spoonful of rich cherry sauce!
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I was so excited when I officially entered my third trimester…the home stretch! However, this enthusiasm began to wane as it became harder and harder to sleep through the night. I would wake up with terrible leg cramps, and the constant need to get up and pee made me certain this kid was using my bladder as his own personal waterbed. No amount of giant weirdly-shaped pregnancy pillows would get my back to stop hurting, not to mention it’s pretty hard to get comfortable when your belly is the size of a beach ball.
After a lot of trial and error I was able to find a few things that helped me get some shut eye:
Stretching before bed helped me avoid leg cramps
A cooling bamboo blanket helped with the night sweats
Dimming the lights and using an essential oil diffuser helped me get sleepy
I also researched foods high in melatonin with the hopes that snacking on these before bed would make it easier to fall and stay asleep. Melatonin is a hormone that increases in the evening and puts you in a calmer state that can help promote sleep. I found out that tart cherries are a great source of melatonin so I began thinking about how I could use them to make a dessert (I’ve gotten really good at finding creative excuses to eat dessert these past few months).
This cherry sauce has four ingredients and uses one saucepan, so there’s really no reason not to make it. It’s the perfect way to jazz up a bowl of vanilla ice cream and hopefully help you catch some extra zzzz’s.
What ingredients do I need for cherry sauce?
Tart cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen and thawed)
Lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
Sugar
Cornstarch
Helpful products for this recipe:
Can I substitute sweet cherries?
If you can’t find tart cherries, you can use sweet cherries instead. They contain melatonin as well, just not as much as tart cherries. If you choose to use these, I recommend reducing the amount of sugar to ¼ cup.
How much does this recipe make?
This recipe makes about eight ¼ cup servings
How do I freeze leftovers?
After the sauce has cooled completely, spoon it into a container or mason jar, seal, and freeze.Thaw in the fridge the night before you plan to use it. You can serve this cherry sauce chilled, at room temp or you can re-heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments until it reaches your desired temperature.
What are some ways I can use cherry sauce?
My go-to is vanilla ice cream but this would also be a great topping for yogurt, cheesecake, and angel food cake. You could also spread it over a thick slice of toast for a luxurious breakfast!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Let me know!
Mention @preggokitchen or tag #preggokitchen
Did You Like It?
Please leave a comment and five star rating below!
Ingredients:
16 oz tart cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen and thawed)
2 tsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
¾ cup sugar
2 ½ tsp cornstarch
Directions:
Add cherries, lemon juice, and sugar to a large pot and mix
Sprinkle cornstarch over the top and stir to combine
Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, letting it come to a soft boil
Let it continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened (about 10-12 minutes)
Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes)
Store the leftovers in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to six months
Sources:
Melatonin for sleep: Does it work? Melatonin for Sleep: Does It Work? | Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2022, April 11). Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/melatonin-for-sleep-does-it-work
Meng, X., Li, Y., Li, S., Zhou, Y., Gan, R.-Y., Xu, D.-P., & Li, H.-B. (2017, April 7). Dietary sources and bioactivities of Melatonin. Nutrients. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409706/