Hailing from Germany, kirsch is a fruit brandy made from the morello cherry. Kirsch is produced in Germany, Switzerland and the Alsace region of France. Cooks enjoy this fruit brandy for its cherry flavor, which is sweet but not saccharine. Kirsch works well for any baked good that needs a cherry lift as well as for frozen desserts, mousses and other unbaked dessert items. When flavoring with kirsch, start with a small amount then taste your base recipe and add more if necessary. This liqueur can overwhelm a dish in large amounts.

Add 1 to 2 tbsp. of kirsch to fruit mousse recipes. Cherry, strawberry or raspberry mousses get vibrant fruit flavor and a little kick from kirsch.

Add a splash of kirsch to fruit ice creams and fruit mousses. The alcohol helps lend frozen desserts a soft, creamy texture. Since alcohol doesn’t freeze, it lowers the freezing point of the ice cream to help prevent large ice crystals from forming. The result: Smooth texture in frozen desserts and a boost of fruit flavor.

Use 1 tbsp. of kirsch in your favorite truffle recipe to make chocolate-cherry truffles. Whisk the kirsch into the truffle base, then set the base in the refrigerator to firm up.

Flavor buttercream frostings with kirsch to make Black Forest cake or other cherry-flavored cupcake frostings. Use 1 to 2 tbsp., then taste and add more if necessary to get the cherry flavor.

Fold kirsch into a sweet souffle or cherry clafoutis recipe to infuse these desserts with cherry flavor. Do this right before baking, then bake.

Warnings
    •    If cooking with kirsch, most of the alcohol will bake off. In frozen desserts, mousses and frostings, the alcohol will not bake off. These sweet treats may not be suitable for children.