STRAWBERRIES MACERATED IN BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND ORANGE LIQUEUR WITH CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ALMOND BISCOTTI

SERVES 4

Everything about this recipe is purely coincidental. First, I had received a gift bag at Christmas with the best biscotti I had ever tasted. They were almond-based, and dipped lightly in dark chocolate. I took a chance and looked for the same brand at my local grocery store and found them. Since then, I buy them for a light and relatively healthy dessert snack. Additionally, since the end of February, my store has had the best fresh strawberries. It isn’t even strawberry season around here, but these are every bit as good, if not better, than what we get from the local farms. (Sorry, but it is the truth. I sometimes think that they are trying to grow larger, more beautiful berries, and the flavor isn’t as good.) Anyhow, the first week I bought the strawberries, I decided to macerate them in balsamic vinegar, which I have done before. After tasting, I wasn’t totally satisfied. So, as I had also done before, I added some orange liqueur. Oh my, the combination of the vinegar and liqueur was awesome. All it needed was a little sugar, since the berries were fairly sweet on their own. When I served them, I thought something in the form of cake or cookie would be nice. So I served a biscotti. The almond and the little bit of chocolate were perfect with the strawberries. And there was enough juice in the bottom of the serving bowls in which to dip the biscotti. I have made this every weekend for a month, and it is still excellent. By the way, I plan to make homemade biscotti very soon.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed, drained and hulled

Sugar or sugar substitute to taste, about 1 tablespoon (depending on sweetness of berries)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon orange liqueur

4 chocolate-dipped almond biscotti

Cut the strawberries into halves or quarters, depending on the size. Place into a large bowl. Mash lightly with a potato masher or fork, just to release some of the juices. Add the sugar, vinegar and liqueur. Stir well to combine. Taste for sweetness and, if needed, add more sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or as much as 8 hours. Place in individual serving bowls, adding some of the juices to each. Place one biscotti vertically inside each bowl. Serve immediately.

Notes: These strawberries are equally as good leftover for the next day. They will be just a little softer. They would also be very good over pound cake or traditional shortcake, with a little whipped cream.

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