Strawberry Kirsch Delight

If you are trying to come up with a dessert that is super easy and makes use of the large, ripe strawberries that are available everywhere now, this simple dessert is the answer. It is basically strawberries soaked in Kirsch Brandy and served with vanilla ice cream. If you are not familiar with Kirsch, it is a colorless fruit brandy distilled from black cherries, which brings out the sweetness of the strawberries and adds a zing to the flavor. Hiram Walker is a relatively inexpensive brand which is ideal for this recipe. It is not necessary to use sugar in this recipe, but some may prefer a sweeter dessert, so I have included it in the ingredients below.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds firm, ripe strawberries
2 tablespoons Kirsch
2 teaspoons Sugar (if desired)
Vanilla Ice Cream
Mint Leaves for Garnish

Method

1. Rinse and hull the strawberries and cut them lengthwise.
   
2. Place cut strawberries in a glass bowl and sprinkle with the sugar (if using) and pour the Kirsch over the top. Stir the mixture until all the fruit is coated. Do not worry if the sugar is grainy.
3. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 - 4 hours until thoroughly chilled.
   
4. Spoon the strawberry mixture into 4 serving dishes, and spoon the syrup that has formed over the top.
5. Serve with vanilla ice cream and garnish with mint leaves.