I wanted a light-weight dessert to conclude a tasting menu. Initially, I thought of serving small bowls of strawberries macerated with honey and balsamic vinegar—a simple solution to elevate even common berries. However that felt a bit too easy. As an alternative, I made a decision to current the strawberries atop a crisp almond shell, which added each texture and magnificence. After some experimentation, I perfected the shells, attaining a fragile crunch that complemented the fruit fantastically.
The ultimate dessert was refined but easy: juicy, sun-ripened strawberries gently macerated in honey and aged balsamic, forming a luscious glaze that intensified their pure taste. They have been nestled on a skinny, crispy shell created from almonds and honey, providing a satisfying distinction of textures. A sprig of contemporary mint added a pop of coloration and a refreshing aroma, making the dish as visually interesting because it was scrumptious—a super finale to a summer time meal.
The almond shells and strawberry prep might be carried out prematurely. Macerate the strawberries about an hour earlier than serving, and assemble the dessert simply earlier than it’s dropped at the desk to protect the shells’ crispness.
Elements
For six servings
For the almond shells
- 30 grams unsalted butter + extra for greasing the tins
- 60 grams caster sugar
- 20 grams honey
- 30 grams flour
- 40 grams almond meal
For the macerated strawberries
- 500 grams (1.1 lbs) strawberries
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp good high quality aged balsamic vinegar
- 6 contemporary mint leaves
Directions
Soften 30 grams of unsalted butter over medium warmth in a saucepan.
Add 60 grams of caster sugar and 20 grams of honey.
Stir over medium warmth till nicely mixed, then flip off the warmth.
Add 30 grams of flour and 40 grams of almond meal.
Stir till the combination is homogeneous. (That is surprisingly simple.)
Grease tins with a diameter of about 10 cm (4 inches) with melted butter. You can additionally bake the almond crisps on a baking sheet lined with oven paper, however then they won’t receive a shell form.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F, fan pressured.
Divide the dough into 6 equal balls of 30 grams every (utilizing scales helps to do that evenly). Form the balls together with your palms.
I used a tortilla press to flatten the balls. You can additionally use a heavy frying pan. Place a ball of dough between two sheets of cling movie within the middle of the tortilla press.
Press down on the ball…
…to get a circle with a diameter of about 12 cm (5 inches).
Place the circle of al dough on a greased tin, and press together with your fingers to suit the dough into the tin.
Repeat till you could have completed all of them.
Bake the shells within the oven at 180C/350F (fan pressured) till properly browned, about 8 minutes. Don’t allow them to turn into too darkish, as that can flip them bitter. The shells will shrink a bit, however that’s OK so long as you could have a little bit of a brim to maintain the juices in. Permit the shells to chill earlier than taking the shells out of the tins. The shells might be ready prematurely. Retailer them in an hermetic container till you’re able to serve them.
Rinse the strawberries with chilly water, drain them in a colander, and pat them dry with paper towels. Hull the strawberries. Slice strawberries in halves or quarters as wanted to get roughly even items. The strawberries might be ready up till this level and saved within the fridge till an hour earlier than serving.
An hour earlier than serving, drizzle the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of balsamic.
Stir with two massive spoons till all the strawberries have been coated.
Permit the strawberries to macerate for about one hour, stirring them after half an hour or so. Stir the strawberries one last time earlier than serving, to ensure they’re nicely coated with the glaze.
Place the strawberries on prime of the almond shells, along with a few of the glaze. Garnish with a contemporary leaf of mint.
Wine pairing
This dessert requires a wine that works with each the freshness of the strawberries and the richness and toasted notes of the almonds. As at all times when pairing wine with a dessert, the wine ought to be at the least as candy because the dessert. At a wine pairing dinner I organized in my house we tried this dessert with the next wines:
- Ca’ Rugate La Perlara Recioto di Soave DOCG 2017, Veneto, Italy (Garganega). This candy white wine from Veneto, made utilizing the appassimento technique (drying grapes earlier than fermentation), paired very nicely with the dessert. The wine’s sweetness was simply sufficient to match the honeyed almond shell, whereas its dried fruit and floral notes complemented the strawberries properly. A balanced and stylish match.
- Château Coutet 2014 Barsac AC Premier Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France (75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle, aged 18 months in oak barriques, harvested in 7 rounds by way of the winery between September 24 and November 6 to pick out the perfect botrytized grapes every spherical). An excellent pairing. This botrytized wine from Barsac (a Sauternes appellation) provided the proper stability of richness and acidity to bridge the almond shell and the strawberries. Its honeyed, citrusy complexity enhanced each parts of the dessert, although it leaned barely extra towards complementing the strawberries than the almond.
- Tenuta Il Falchetto ‘Tenuta del Fant’ Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2022, Piemonte, Italy (Moscato Bianco, Charmat technique). This frivolously glowing, fragrant wine was a superb match for the strawberries, with its floral and peachy notes echoing the fruit’s freshness. It was additionally candy sufficient for the almond shell, making it a refreshing and harmonious alternative.
- Quady Elysium Black Muscat 2022, California, USA (Black Muscat). This intensely fragrant dessert wine, created from Black Muscat, initially paired nicely with the dish. Nevertheless, the mixture with the strawberries launched a slight bitterness, probably as a result of a conflict between the wine’s floral depth and the acidity of the balsamic. Nonetheless, a daring and fascinating pairing.
- La Roncaia Picolit 2018 Friuli Colli Orientali Picolit DOCG, Friuli Italy (Picolit, late harvest on the finish of October, dried for six weeks, aged 12 months in oak barrels). A fantastically balanced match. This uncommon late-harvest wine, identified for its honeyed apricot and notes of dried fruit, complemented each the strawberries and the almond shell.
- La Tunella Verduzzo Friuli Colli Orientali Friulano DOC 2022, Friuli, Italy (Verduzzo). This wine paired very nicely total, with its golden fruit and nutty undertones echoing the almond shell. Nevertheless, it was simply barely candy sufficient for the richness of the almond part.
