VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE

It is hard to believe but the warm weather is finally arriving here in Atlanta. It is going to be 90 here today. To me nothing is more refreshing than a bowl of ice cream. And top it with a delicious blackberry sauce, and well, it is just yummy. The sauce is very easy to prepare and it looks so pretty drizzled over the ice cream and topped with a few whole blackberries. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe.

1 quart vanilla ice cream
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. water
2 1/2 pints blackberries, divided
1 tsp. lemon juice

In a nonreactive saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat. Add 2 pints of the blackberries and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the lemon juice. Puree the berry mixture, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, scoop the ice cream into bowls, drizzle with the blackberry sauce and top with a few of the remaining blackberries. Serves 6.