Mandarin Orange Sauce

A quick and easy sauce to serve with a scoop of ice cream, a piece of sponge cake or fruit cake, or cheesecake. Also good over pancakes, french toast, or crepes. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry if you like. Use fresh peaches in place of the oranges or use canned peaches with some of the juice. You can serve individual servings in wide-mouth wine glasses for pretty presentation. A great last minute dessert. I keep an angel food cake in the freezer and a couple cans of mandarin oranges in the pantry for this dessert for unexpected company.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2⁄3 cup white sugar
• 3  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained, reserve juice
•  mandarin orange liquid, from can of oranges and water up to 1-1/3 cup mark
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1 (10 ounce) can  frozen concentrated orange juice, undiluted, divided

Directions

1. Stir the sugar and cornstarch together in heavy-bottom saucepan.
2. Drain the mandarin oranges over a 2-cup measuring cup. Add water up to the 1-1/3 cup mark.
3. Add liquid mixture to sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat.
4. Add the butter and one half of the can of undiluted orange juice. (Make the rest into orange juice for drinking).
5. Add the mandarin oranges and stir gently.
6. Heat gently over low heat for a couple of minutes, if desired, stirring occasionally.