Strawberry Topping

Put chopped strawberries and sugar into aa small saucepan. Add 1/3 cup water to cover, stir to blend. Heat mixture over medium high heat until it boils. Stir, then reduce heat to medium.

Mix cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of cold or room temperature water until a thick liquid forms.

Pour the liquid into the pan, stirring continuously, and continue to stir until well blended. Cook the strawberry mixture over medium for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until it becomes thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
You can serve the topping as-is with chunky texture, or puree it smooth with an immersion blender. You can also puree it halfway, so that it's almost smooth but still has some texture. Use for anything that requires answer strawberry topping * cheesecake, ice cream sundaes, waffles, or cheese blintzes.