In a medium mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar and toss until evenly coated. Allow to macerate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
TO MAKE THE FILLING: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the crème fraîche, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
PLACE THE COOLED SHORTCAKE on a level surface and use a serrated knife to gently cut the shortcake in half horizontally. (You can cut more evenly if you gently rotate the shortcake as you cut through it. Place your hand on top of the cake to help steady it as you go. Be careful, though, as the cake is fragile.)
CAREFULLY TRANSFER the bottom half of the shortcake to a large, flat serving plate. Spoon the macerated strawberries and their juices evenly on top, leaving a 1 / 4 -inch rim. Spoon all but 1 / 4 cup of the cold crème fraîche filling on top and spread it evenly over the berries. Carefully place the top half of the shortcake on top of the filling (don’t worry if some of the edges crumble—this is a rustic dessert).
DUST THE TOP with confectioners’ sugar. Spoon the remaining 1 / 4 cup crème fraîche filling in one large dollop on top of the cake and plop the reserved strawberry into it. To serve, cut the cake into eight slices, wiping the knife clean with each cut. Serve with the basil syrup on the side. (This stuff is strong, so a little goes a long way.)
TIPS
•
If you have a tart pan with a removable bottom, you can use the thin metal bottom as a tool to transfer the shortcake layers without damaging them. The layers slide on and off easily.
•
You can make the cake a few hours in advance and refrigerate it, but be sure to leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
•
If there’s any basil syrup left, store it in an airtight container and use it for a cocktail, like a watermelon-basil margarita!
•
If you don’t want to make basil syrup, you can boil down the strawberry juices until they form a thick syrup that you can drizzle over the shortcake when serving. To make sure you have enough strawberry goodness in the middle of the cake, make a double batch of the strawberries, or spread 1 / 4 to 1 / 2 cup of strawberry preserves in the middle of the shortcake.
•
If you have it on hand, you can swap out 1 / 4 cup of regular flour for almond flour to get an even more tender texture.
The Ultimate Brownie
THE
Ultimate Brownie
These brownies are one of my most popular treats, and that’s no surprise, considering they’re mostly chocolate, butter, and sugar with just enough flour to hold them together. To make them extra fudgy, I use dark brown sugar and slightly underbake them, before I slather them with chocolate ganache. I like to serve them with fruity olive oil and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. Another can’t-go-wrong choice? A drizzle of salted caramel, of course. No matter how you serve them, they are, in short, edible sin. MAKES 14 BROWNIES
ingredients
brownies
1 1 / 3 cups unbleached all-purposed flour
3 / 4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
1 / 2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1 / 2 cups granulated sugar
1 1 / 2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
coffee syrup
1 / 2 cup french-press or strong brewed coffee
1 / 2 cup granulated sugar
1 / 2 recipe Sexy Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
Fruity or grassy extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Flaky sea salt, such as Fleur de sel or Maldon, for sprinkling
instructions
TO MAKE THE BROWNIES: Line 14 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
IN A STAND MIXER fitted with a paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the
TO MAKE THE FILLING: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the crème fraîche, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
PLACE THE COOLED SHORTCAKE on a level surface and use a serrated knife to gently cut the shortcake in half horizontally. (You can cut more evenly if you gently rotate the shortcake as you cut through it. Place your hand on top of the cake to help steady it as you go. Be careful, though, as the cake is fragile.)
CAREFULLY TRANSFER the bottom half of the shortcake to a large, flat serving plate. Spoon the macerated strawberries and their juices evenly on top, leaving a 1 / 4 -inch rim. Spoon all but 1 / 4 cup of the cold crème fraîche filling on top and spread it evenly over the berries. Carefully place the top half of the shortcake on top of the filling (don’t worry if some of the edges crumble—this is a rustic dessert).
DUST THE TOP with confectioners’ sugar. Spoon the remaining 1 / 4 cup crème fraîche filling in one large dollop on top of the cake and plop the reserved strawberry into it. To serve, cut the cake into eight slices, wiping the knife clean with each cut. Serve with the basil syrup on the side. (This stuff is strong, so a little goes a long way.)
TIPS
•
If you have a tart pan with a removable bottom, you can use the thin metal bottom as a tool to transfer the shortcake layers without damaging them. The layers slide on and off easily.
•
You can make the cake a few hours in advance and refrigerate it, but be sure to leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
•
If there’s any basil syrup left, store it in an airtight container and use it for a cocktail, like a watermelon-basil margarita!
•
If you don’t want to make basil syrup, you can boil down the strawberry juices until they form a thick syrup that you can drizzle over the shortcake when serving. To make sure you have enough strawberry goodness in the middle of the cake, make a double batch of the strawberries, or spread 1 / 4 to 1 / 2 cup of strawberry preserves in the middle of the shortcake.
•
If you have it on hand, you can swap out 1 / 4 cup of regular flour for almond flour to get an even more tender texture.
The Ultimate Brownie
THE
Ultimate Brownie
These brownies are one of my most popular treats, and that’s no surprise, considering they’re mostly chocolate, butter, and sugar with just enough flour to hold them together. To make them extra fudgy, I use dark brown sugar and slightly underbake them, before I slather them with chocolate ganache. I like to serve them with fruity olive oil and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. Another can’t-go-wrong choice? A drizzle of salted caramel, of course. No matter how you serve them, they are, in short, edible sin. MAKES 14 BROWNIES
ingredients
brownies
1 1 / 3 cups unbleached all-purposed flour
3 / 4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
1 / 2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1 / 2 cups granulated sugar
1 1 / 2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
coffee syrup
1 / 2 cup french-press or strong brewed coffee
1 / 2 cup granulated sugar
1 / 2 recipe Sexy Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
Fruity or grassy extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Flaky sea salt, such as Fleur de sel or Maldon, for sprinkling
instructions
TO MAKE THE BROWNIES: Line 14 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
IN A STAND MIXER fitted with a paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the
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