Dark, sweet, and juicy on ice cream

Double Cherry Sundae

Flavor is what makes Bing cherries exceptional. If they have a flaw, it would be the pit. And if pitting cherries has kept you from using them in desserts like this lavish sundae, take heart. With a little help, it’s an easier, speedier task than you might suppose.

Gadgets for pitting cherries are available in cookware stores, starting at about $3. Just pop a cherry in the center of the tool and press down on the plunger ― it pushes the pit out through the bottom of the cherry.

For prettier results, use a clean hairpin. Push the rounded end of the pin into the stem side of the cherry, slide the pin around the pit to release it, then pull it up and out.