Ingredients
2 lb. fresh sweet cherries
1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. limoncello (Italian lemon-flavored liqueur) or more to taste
2 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 c. mascarpone or crème fraîche
long thin shavings of lemon zest for garnish
Preparation
Step 1Rinse the cherries and discard the stems and pits. Place in a stainless-steel 2-quart heavy saucepan and sprinkle with the sugar and limoncello. Toss to coat. Cover and set aside to macerate for 1 hour.Step 2Set aside 1 cup cherries with a little of their juice. Add the water and cinnamon stick to the remaining cherries; heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring. Remove from the heat and let stand 30 minutes.Step 3Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid. Discard the cinnamon stick. Puree the cherries through a food mill into a bowl or puree in a food processor and press through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in the cooking liquid and season to taste with additional limoncello if needed. Cover and refrigerate until cold.Step 4To serve: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Cut the reserved cherries in half and place in a bowl. Add the mascarpone, stir to mix, and add a dollop to each bowl. Sprinkle with lemon-zest shavings.
