Top-rated fresh dessert for summer season
This is a simple, fresh, not-too-sweet dessert that highlights the season’s best local strawberries. Try this with any seasonal Ontario berry or a mix of different types. Orange flower water is a lovely, fragrant addition to the cream, but no worries if you don’t have any. I like to serve this dessert in vintage juice glasses, but it also looks excellent in wine glasses, champagne flutes or martini glasses. You can also assemble it several hours in advance and chill it – make sure that the whipped cream is stable enough.
Serves 8
MASCARPONE CREAM
- 1 cup whipping cream, cold
- 1 cup mascarpone, cold
- 2 tbsp orange flower water
- 2-4 tbsp honey
STRAWBERRIES
- 1 quart Ontario strawberries
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 3 tbsp sugar, raw or regular
- 1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and lightly crushed
- Optional garnish: lemon balm, mint or edible flowers
Whip the 35% cream until soft and billowy peaks form. Fold in the mascarpone and whip for another minute. Add orange flower water and honey to incorporate. Set aside, chilled. Wash and hull the strawberries. Halve any larger ones. Place in a bowl and add orange juice, orange zest and sugar. Stir and let macerate for 10 minutes until juicy. To assemble, place a dollop of the mascarpone cream at the bottom of each glass. Next, divide the macerated strawberries amongst the 8 glasses. Follow with another generous layer of mascarpone cream. Top each dessert with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios and a sprig of mint, lemon balm or an edible flower. Yum.