Strawberry Star Anise Sauce

• FAST
• HEALTHY
• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 2 pints strawberries, thickly sliced
2. 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3. 1/4 cup sugar
4. 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
5. 1 tablespoon Cointreau
6. 2 whole star anise pods

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients and crush lightly with a potato masher. Bring to a boil, then simmer over moderate heat until the strawberries lose their bright red color, about 2 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much of the juice as possible; refrigerate until chilled. Transfer to a pitcher and serve with the Strawberry Shortcake.