Balsamic Glazed Strawberries with Marscapone

It's been a pretty busy and crazy summer. So much has happened and I'm glad that the summer season is almost over. With that said, I have a great summertime dessert. I know I don't do many desserts, in fact, I think this may be first dessert post. See, I don't bake very often. I get caught up on having to measure everything and I don't do that when I cook. It doesn't seem like it, but it's actually quite liberating not to measure every little thing. That's what I like about this dessert...no baking and no measuring! :) Anyway, this dessert had everything that makes a great dessert. There were different and complimenting textures and tastes. Here's what I did...

-quartered strawberries, about 1/2 cup per serving
-thinly cut fresh basil, about 1 TBS per serving
-1 TBS Marscapone cheese at room temperature, shaped into a quenelle (a three-sided shape, see video below. Marscapone is an Italian style cream cheese, it's very rich with an heavy cream taste to it.)
-toasted pine nuts, slivered almonds can be substituted (toast nuts in a dry pan on medium low heat until golden brown, stirring frequently), for garnish
-1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
-1 TBS honey


In a medium mixing bowl, combine quartered strawberries and fresh basil. Arrange in a neat pile onto each serving plate. Using 2 tablespoons scoop a heaping tablespoon of Marscapone and follow the video below to create the quenelle shape. Once shaped, place one quenelle on top of each pile of strawberries. In a small pot, combine balsamic vinegar and honey and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened, whisking occasionally. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts or slivered almonds in a dry saute pan until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Garnish the strawberries and Marscapone cheese with the balsamic glaze and toasted nuts.

With the quenelle technique, you just need to keep scooping the cheese back and forth until it creates a smooth 3-sided shape.

This is a really classy dessert without a lot of work. Everything about this really works well together. The sweetness of the berries are balanced with the tartness of the balsamic glaze and the crunch of the nuts compliment the creaminess of the Marscapone. The basil adds a fresh burst of flavor. It may say odd to pair basil and fruit, but it really is delicious. I hope you give it a try!