If it’s the season of fresh cherries, don’t just make cherry pies. This cherry fricassee recipe, served with a gingerbread and ice cream combination, should be enough to keep you inspired during the abundance of cherry harvest. Instead of cooking the cherries in a pie crust, the cherries are cooked together with butter, sugar and gingerbread then served on a glass with vanilla ice cream. It’s an interesting take on a cherry-inspired dessert.

The stewing of the fresh cherries results in a fricassee then thickened by the addition of the gingerbread. Its spices give the compote some depth. Usually the terms fricassee refers to the gravy-like stew of meat or vegetables. The cherry dessert takes its inspiration from this consistency and makes a stew of cherries. The gingerbread gives it a beautiful brown color while the vanilla ice cream strikes a refreshing contrast. As the ice cream melts on the pool of cherries and gingerbread, the sauce changes into a creamy color that looks like fricassee.

Ingredients
1 lb. rather large, mature cherries
1/3 lb. gingerbread
1.8 oz. butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 pint ice cream (vanilla, ginger bread, caramel, or yogurt)
mint leaves

1. Prepare the cherries. Carefully wash and pit the cherries. Dice the gingerbread.
2. In a large pan, melt the butter. Add the sugar and heat until caramelized.
3. Place the cherries in the pan with the caramelized sugar. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Once the cooking juice is slightly reduced, add the gingerbread to thicken and help bind the mixture. Continue to cook another 5 - 6 minutes in order to obtain a cherry compote.
5. Assemble the dish. Place a little of the cherry compote on each serving dish. Put a scoop of ice cream on top of this and decorate with mint leaves.
6. Serve accompanied with some sugared biscuits, almond cookies, or pistachios.