Strawberries With Kahlua Cream

Leggy Peggy's Note:

This easy-to-make dessert will impress family and friends. It comes together in minutes, but everyone will think you slaved over it. Make the Kahlua cream a day or two ahead, so the flavors develop. The instructions here call for the berries to be roasted, but it is perfectly fine -- and totally delicious -- to simply stir the berry ingredients together and let them marinate in the fridge for a few hours before assembling.* I figure roast them in winter and refrigerate them in summer. The recipe can be easily halved or doubled. Created for RSC #10.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

Kahlua cream

• 8 ounces cream cheese (can be slightly reduced fat)
• 2 tablespoons Kahlua (or equivalent)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 -4 tablespoons brown sugar (satisfy your sweet tooth (I use 2)
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream

Strawberries

• 8 cups strawberries, hulled
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Garnish

• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted (or more)
• 8 sprigs fresh mint (optional)

Directions:

1. For the Kahlua cream, put the ingredients (except the heavy cream) in a food processor. Process until combined, scraping down sides as needed. Add the cream and process again briefly. Refrigerate until needed.
2. If strawberries are different sizes, cut the largest ones in half. Otherwise leave whole.
3. When you are ready to make the berries and pecans, preheat oven to 350 degrees. *If you decide not to roast the berries, you can stir the berry ingredients together and put them in the fridge to marinate for a few hours. and skip steps 5 and 6.
4. Chop pecans. Spread them on a baking tray. Toast them in the oven for about 8 minutes. Cool.
5. Put berries in an oven-proof pan (such as glass) on a sheet of baking paper. Sprinkle with castor sugar, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Stir well.
6. Roast strawberries in oven for 15 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring every 5 minutes.
7. Dish the berries into bowls and spoon over any pan juices. Serve immediately, topped with a good dollop of Kahlua cream. Garnish with toasted pecans. Add mint sprigs (if desired).

Reviews

[Suzy-Q Cooks]

This was EXACTLY what I was looking for. My DH and I eat totally sugar free, and this made for some very easy substitutions (including the maple syrup and the Kahlua) and it tastes absolutely wonderful. I opted not to roast the strawberries, but just served them marinated, topped with the roasted pecans and the Kahlua Cream. I can't say enough good things about this recipe. THANK YOU!!

[Wish I Could Cook]

WOW! This is so terrific and so easy and everyone thinks I'm a gourmet chef! I used Bailey's instead of Kaluha because that's what I had, and I think I'll use it every time. (I also doubled the Bailey's, which I think I'd do again...) I stopped with the sauce because I didn't think the balsamic mixture would match up with blueberries I was trying to use. But if I had a cookbook named easy, delicious, elegant make-ahead desserts worthy of guests, I would save this recipe in there! Thanks for posting!

[Miss Fannie]

The Kailua Cream was pure sin. I topped a piece of pound cake with the strawberries and Kailua cream. It was so good I had to restrain myself from getting seconds. I used the pancake syrup that I had on hand. It was so good. I am going to prepare this dish again.