Strawberries and Cream

Summer strawberries are arguably my favorite fruit. They are simultaneously juicy and tart with the only downside being its ability to stain your white clothes! Some of my earliest memories are from the Vineyard with my older brother fighting over who gets the last juicy strawberry in the carton. Strawberries hold a special place in my heart, so when I was brainstorming recipes for a July 4 celebration, I knew I had to include a variation of a classic recipe: Strawberries and Cream.

Here, we are leveling up by using fresh hand-whipped cream instead of the canned version. A dollop of creme fraiche gives this more body and a bit of tang. If you don’t have creme fraiche on hand, sour cream or mascarpone do the trick. Lemon zest and mint add a pop of color and flavor, too. I love serving this treat with a healthy spoonful of cream in the center and strawberries around it, especially if there’s a crowd. You’ll find yourself reaching for strawberry after strawberry until there are none left.

The tablespoon of sugar is important for getting the cream started. Otherwise, it’ll take you almost double the amount of time to hit soft peaks (trust me, I’ve tried). You can, of course, substitute strawberries for other summer berries. So good!