Last week I picked up a large bag of cherries at the farmers’ market. As much as I love to just stand over the sink and spit pits as I eat, I have managed to hold off on demolishing the bag (read: I only eat every third cherry while I’m pitting them) long enough to make this simple, delicious dessert.

Balsamic Cherries over Ice Cream

This is an adaptation of a healthy dessert idea from Ellie Krieger. Unfortunately, it does not include ice cream in its original form. To practice portion control, I use the small party cups of vanilla ice cream I used to eat at birthdays. The balsamic cherries lend a slightly sweet and tart topping, and making them is a snap.

For the balsamic cherries, simply halve and pit a topping-sized portion–I usually use somewhere around 10 cherries, and that’s pretty generous–and add to a small saucepan along with about a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Since cherries are in season right now and are therefore at their most sweet, you can get away with a lot less sugar than a tablespoon if you’d like. Stir the 3 ingredients together and bring them to a boil over medium heat. Then let them simmer for about 5 minutes more. Let them cool a little, then pour the cherries and balsamic sauce over ice cream.

Original recipe here.