Weekly Dish

Everyone knows that the danger of a sugar high is the low-energy dip that follows. For Sugar (not so) High Friday this time around, we have been encouraged by the lovely Sam to subvert the sugar high, to knock it on its head. Or, less theoretically, to prepare a healthful dessert, relatively low in sugar and fat content.

No one can live without sweets every once in a while, even the post-holiday dieters among us. So creating something delicious to satisfy a sweet craving without crashing your calorie count is a most worthy — if difficult — challenge. This recipe is one I’ve been toying with for a few months — the original was passed along by my aunt from longtime family friend Angela Rehmann, who teaches cooking classes occasionally. Louisiana strawberries have begun to appear at my farmer’s market in glorious abundance over the past few weeks, and with the help of Angela’s recipe, I have hit on my favorite simple and sugar-free preparation of them, which makes a lovely and delicious dessert.

With so few ingredients, quality becomes key here. Really good basalmic vinegar and honey will reduce to a delectable, tangy syrup, the perfect topping for just-ripe strawberries. A small bit of mascarpone cheese whipped with fresh cream smooths out the vinegar’s kick–when everything is mixed together, the cream coats the syrupy berries in a silky cloud, making each bite melt slowly on the tongue. All in all, this dessert is just the kind to assuage that after-dinner hankering for something not too sweet or heavy, and you don’t have to feel too guilty about eating it. Just the kind of (not so) sugar high I enjoy most.

Strawberries in Basalmic Syrup with Mascarpone Cream

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup good basalmic vinegar
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
In a small saucepan, bring the honey and basalmic vingar to a slow boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and stir until it thickens, about a minute. Remove from heat and cool. Whip the mascarpone cheese and cream until soft peaks form. Divide the strawberries between 4 glasses or bowls. Drizzle the syrup over the berries, and top each glass with a dollop of the cream.

Tagged with: SHF # 15 + Low Sugar

Posted: Friday, January 27th, 2006 at 7:21 am Filed under: Something Sweet, Food Blogging Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.