strawberry-romanov-1

Nothing gets me all Forrest Gumpy the way strawberries do.

I love strawberry cake, strawberry cupcakes, strawberry bellinis, strawberries and cream, strawberry pie, strawberry tarts, chocolate-covered strawberries and strawberry ice cream. I love strawberries in cereal, smoothies, salads and shortcake. I love them, because they are the perfect fruit – red, sweet, juicy, bite-sized AND they require no real prep. Unlike the lowly watermelon, strawberries don’t have huge seeds and rinds. No pits, no peels.

Strawberries are the Fruit of Slackers. And they’re pretty.

To celebrate my most recent strawberry score – two pounds of Plant City, Florida’s finest – I made one of my favorite slacker-passing-as-sophisticated desserts: Strawberries Romanov.

Think of it as a more exotic take on strawberries and cream. Start with the ripest strawberries you can find, place them in a glass, and then mix the cream topping – a combination of sweetened whipped cream, softened vanilla ice cream, sour cream and as much Grand Marnier (or brandy or Cointreau) as your heart desires. Spoon the topping over the berries, find a sunny corner, and dig in. That little bit (or lotta bit) of boozy citrus will make this dessert seem indulgent, even though you can whip it up in less than five minutes.

The perfect thing to coax spring to stay a while.

Strawberries Romanov

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse (Food Network)

Serves 2

  • 6 ounces vanilla ice cream, softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup sweetened whipped cream
  • Orange-flavored liqueur, like Brandy, Cointreau or Grand Marnier, to taste
  • 2 cups rinsed, hulled strawberries
  • Garnish: mint leaves, chocolate curls
  1. Mix ice cream, sour cream and whipped cream together. Slowly add alcohol to taste.
  2. Divide berries between two glasses. Top them with the cream mixture. Garnish with mint and chocolate.