I feel like everyone started acting like it was summer weeks ago and I was not prepared. Summer in New York, while fun, also means chaos. It means humidity. It means I cannot stop spending money no matter how hard I try. But as next week marks the real beginning of summer, I suppose I’ll embrace it. And with that, a hot commodity of early summer — strawberry season.
I wouldn’t ever call myself a fruit person. I’m definitely a lover of sweets, but not really fruity-sweets. My idea of a dessert is a decadent chocolate chip cookie. Or a fudgy brownie. But no pie. Do not talk to me about pie; I especially can’t handle warm fruit.
If I’m going to indulge in a fruit-based dessert, it’s going to need a couple of things: something rich/creamy and something crunchy (and yes, I understand pie crust could be considered crunchy, but I will not consider it). So let’s talk berries and cream.
Is berries and cream that exciting? Absolutely. But we can make it even more exciting. This recipe includes a summery herb in the mix: basil. It’s not entirely necessary but provides a subtle fragrance and freshness to the berries that doesn’t go unnoticed. To take the cream up a notch, maybe add some richness in the form of mascarpone cheese. You could totally just whip up some cream and call it a day, but mascarpone adds a slight tang and gives the cream some stability. And then ~*the crunch*~. If you’ve been to Milk Bar here in the city and had their cereal milk soft serve, maybe you know where this is heading. They top their ice cream with a toasty~buttery~salty corn flake crunch, and that’s exactly what we’re doing here. It’s like Special K w/ Strawberries, for dessert.
For the berries:
1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled, halved or quartered (depending on size)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of half a lemon
Fresh basil leaves, about a cup or a few sprigs
Kosher salt
Pinch of chili flake (…optional…)
Add strawberries, sugar, lemon zest/juice, basil leaves, and a pinch of salt to a bowl, tossing to combine. Transfer half of the mixture to a saucepan and add a splash of water. Move the remaining strawberries to the refrigerator, allowing them to macerate for about 30 minutes. Bring the strawberries in the saucepan to a low simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until the strawberries soften and the liquid becomes syrupy, 10-12 minutes. Discard the wilted basil leaves. Stir in a pinch of chili flake, if desired (just do it). Let the compote cool.
You absolutely don’t need both forms of strawberries here, but the contrast between the saucy compote and the fresh berries is 🤌🏽.
For the cream:
1 1/4 cup heavy cream, cold
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon granulated (or powdered) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the heavy cream and sugar to a large bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone cheese and vanilla, continuing to mix until firmer peaks form. As mascarpone has a high-fat content, be careful not to over mix or the mascarpone will curdle and split. Stop whipping as soon as the mixture has thickened. If not serving immediately, store in the refrigerator to keep chill.
For the cornflake crumble:
5 cups cornflakes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
5 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 275F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, crush the cornflakes into small pieces with your hands. Add the sugar, salt, and melted butter, tossing to combine until small clusters form. Transfer the cornflake mixture to the baking sheet, spreading it into an even layer. Bake until the cornflakes are nicely toasted, roughly 20 minutes.
For the assembly:
Spoon the whipped cream into a shallow bowl and top with the strawberry compote. Add a few of the fresh macerated strawberries, along with a generous sprinkling of the buttery cornflake crumble. Garnish with a few small basil leaves, and additional lemon zest.
The great thing about this recipe is all three elements can stand on their own, or be brought together in multiple different ways. Don’t want to make the cream? Spoon this all over yogurt or vanilla ice cream (did this at a family cookout recently and it was a hit!). Need some substance to mop everything up? Add a pound cake, shortcake, any cake. Not a fan of strawberries? Do this exact same thing with any berry you like. Bottom line: fruit + cream + crunch. But no pie.
The Playlist
25+ songs that sound & feel like the beginning of summer. ABBA, Prince, Brenton Wood. And yes, it closes with ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ because it couldn’t not.
LEEK Recipe Club
For all the LEEK recipes, including these Strawberries & Cream, visit the Recipe Club!
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