Amarena Cherry

An amarena cherry is a small, bitter, dark-colored Italian cherry grown in the foothills of Bologna. Generally, they are semi-candied in a luscious, sweet syrup and served as an accompaniment in a variety of cocktails. The flavor of the cherry is robust yet moody and reminds me of an upscale, fancy maraschino. To enhance the cherry flavor, I replace some of the white sugar with a touch of the syrup in the base, giving the ice cream a delicate pink hue. I had the great privilege of serving this flavor at one of the finest Italian restaurants in Seattle (The Pink Door), and I’m so happy to share it with you here! I especially love this flavor paired with a generous scoop of my chocolate ice cream!