Black Forest Sundae Sauce

Add coarsely chopped or halved cherries to a large pot. Add lemon juice, cherry Kirsch, and vanilla extract and bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium-high heat.

In a bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and 2 cups of sugar until it is evenly distributed and there are no clumps. Add the cocoa/sugar mixture to the cherries. Add the remaining sugar. Bring the mixture back up to a boil. Stir in the butter and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly. The sauce will thicken further once it cools.

To can and store the Black Forest Sundae Sauce:
Ladle hot sundae sauce into sterilized half pint jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe jar rims and add lids. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and cool on wire racks. Store in a cool, dark place. Store any opened jars in the refrigerator.