I love to make this dessert when strawberries are in season and available locally. They are so much more flavorful than the strawberries now available year-round at the grocery store. The sauce portion of this velvet is made with strawberries, but it will work well with raspberries too as long as you strain it to remove the seeds.

Strawberry Velvet

Recipe details

Serves

4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 2 pints small strawberries, about 1 ½ pounds
  • ⅔ cup seedless raspberry preserves
  • ½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream
  • Small sprigs of mint
  • Cookies, optional

Method

  1. Hull and trim the strawberries, keeping any trimmings for the sauce. Cut the strawberries in half or quarters, depending on their size, putting them into a medium bowl.
  2. Measure the trimmings and add enough strawberries to have 1 ½ cups. Pulse in a small food processor until they are finely chopped. Add the raspberry preserves, blending until smooth. Pour this sauce over the berries in the bowl. Let sit for at least an hour.
  3. To serve, divide among chilled dishes, top with crème fraiche and mint. Serve alone or with some cookies.