A refreshing and versatile sauce, this pairs nicely with ice cream, cake, fruit, and chocolate desserts. Make a couple of batches and divide into several small freezer storage bags and store frozen for up to 6 months.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 1/2 cups

　　1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, or 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen unsweetened raspberries, defrosted

　　1/4 to 1/3 cup light agave nectar

　　1 teaspoon arrowroot powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water

　　1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

Mash the raspberries through a sieve and discard the seeds. Place the raspberry purée and agave nectar in a small saucepan. Heat until almost boiling.

　　

Step 2

Taste the raspberries for sweetness, adding more agave nectar if necessary. Stir the arrowroot powder slurry into the raspberries and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken (this happens quickly). Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Cool before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for several months.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.