Grandma's Raspberry Sauce

My Mother-in-Law asked me to make a cheesecake for her annual Christmas Eve soiree.  (My favorite cheesecake recipe comes from The Best Make-Ahead Recipes cookbook.)  She also entrusted me to make her famous raspberry sauce this year, from a recipe that she received from her mother-in-law.  It is a wonderful sauce for cheesecake; the bright, tart flavor cuts through the dense richness of the cheesecake.  As I'm not planning on becoming a mother-in-law anytime soon, I thought I would share the recipe with you.

Grandma's Raspberry Sauce:

Thaw one 10-oz package of frozen, unsweetened  raspberries in the refrigerator overnight.  Put the thawed raspberries in a medium saucepan and crush with a potato masher.  Add 1/2 cup currant jelly and 1 Tbsp cornstarch to the saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until thickened, then for an additional minute.  Off heat, stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and a dash of salt.  Strain out seeds and cool.  Place waxed paper directly on the sauce and refrigerate until chilled.

I poured the whole amount over my cheesecake and let it run down the sides.  Then I topped it all with fresh raspberries.