| Combine and reduce: | |
| 2 | cups frozen sweet cherries |
| 1 | cup cherry juice |
| 1/2 | cup sugar |
| 3 | oz. dried tart cherries |
| 1 | cinnamon stick (4″) |
| 2 | T. unsalted butter |
| Stir in: | |
| 1/2 | cup cherry preserves |
| 1 | T. instant (“Minute”) tapioca, ground |
Combine frozen cherries, juice, sugar, dried cherries, cinnamon stick, and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; reduce until liquid has thickened slightly and dried cherries are reconstituted, 20–25 minutes.
Stir in preserves and tapioca until incorporated. Simmer until mixture thickens to a jelly consistency, 5 minutes more. Discard cinnamon stick and transfer filling to a bowl to cool. Refrigerate until cold.