Rote Grütze (Red Berry Pudding)

Instructions

1. For the grütze, stir the cornstarch into 75 ml of the tart cherry juice in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.
2. Put the remaining tart cherry juice, the granulated sugar, the sour cherries and the red currants in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook gently until the currants begin to burst, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir the cornstarch mixture again, pour it into the simmering fruit while stirring, and let it bubble for 1 minute, until the liquid turns clear and glossy and thickens.
4. Take the pan off the heat and gently fold in the raspberries and strawberries so they soften in the hot fruit but keep some shape. Pour into a serving bowl or six dessert glasses, cool for 20 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until cold and lightly set, at least 3 hours.
5. For the vanilla sauce, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the whole milk in a saucepan, add the pod, and heat until steaming, about 5 minutes. Remove the pod.
6. Whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until pale. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then return everything to the pan.
7. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the spatula and reaches 160 to 170°F (71 to 77°C), 4 to 6 minutes; do not let it boil hard. Strain into a pitcher, press plastic wrap on the surface and chill with the grütze, about 1 hour.
8. Serve the rote grütze cold with the vanilla sauce poured over each portion.