Strawberries Romanoff


Berries, Desserts / Saturday, March 7th, 2009

strawberry-romanov-1

Nothing gets me all Forrest Gumpy the way strawberries do.

I love strawberry cake, strawberry cupcakes, strawberry bellinis, strawberries and cream, strawberry pie, strawberry tarts, chocolate-covered strawberries and strawberry ice cream. I love strawberries in cereal, smoothies, salads and shortcake. I love them, because they are the perfect fruit – red, sweet, juicy, bite-sized AND they require no real prep. Unlike the lowly watermelon, strawberries don’t have huge seeds and rinds. No pits, no peels.

Strawberries are the Fruit of Slackers. And they’re pretty.

To celebrate my most recent strawberry score – two pounds of Plant City, Florida’s finest – I made one of my favorite slacker-passing-as-sophisticated desserts: Strawberries Romanoff.

Think of it as a more exotic take on strawberries and cream. Start with the ripest strawberries you can find, place them in a glass, and then mix the cream topping – a combination of sweetened whipped cream, softened vanilla ice cream, sour cream and as much Grand Marnier (or brandy or Cointreau) as your heart desires. Spoon the topping over the berries, find a sunny corner, and dig in. That little bit (or lotta bit) of boozy citrus will make this dessert seem indulgent, even though you can whip it up in less than five minutes.

The perfect thing to coax spring to stay a while.

Strawberries Romanoff

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse (Food Network)

Serves 2

  • 6 ounces vanilla ice cream, softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup sweetened whipped cream
  • Orange-flavored liqueur, like Brandy, Cointreau or Grand Marnier, to taste
  • 2 cups rinsed, hulled strawberries
  • Garnish: mint leaves, chocolate curls
  1. Mix ice cream, sour cream and whipped cream together. Slowly add alcohol to taste.
  2. Divide berries between two glasses. Top them with the cream mixture. Garnish with mint and chocolate.

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15 thoughts on “Strawberries Romanoff

  1. I never knew (or had thought about) Romanov being this simple. Our strawberries will be ripe for the picking in a few weeks & I’ll definitely make this luscious looking treat.

  2. Sounds delicious. I love strawberries too. I buy palates full in the summer at the Farmers’ market. They’re so wonderful.

  3. LOL, ah, love some strawberries, do ya? I like fresh strawberries but hate strawberry flavored things, too sweet and artifical tasting.

    Wondering if I fix this as a after dinner “snack” for my kiddos it would help ease them into bedtime better? LOL!
    ~ingrid

  4. Oh, wow…this looks terrific, with or without the shot. I have a thing for strawberries also…but what can you expect from a girl who grew up in Strawberry Point, Iowa? LOL. Strawberries grew naturally there (someone probably planted them originally, but no one could ever figure it out as it is out in the middle of nowhere in northeast Iowa)…that's how the town got it's name, the railroad conductor would always call out, "Strawberry Point….it's strawberry season boys, let's have unscheduled stop!" So, you see, it's REQUIRED, I MUST have a jones for the strawberry…with this dessert, I'm sure you could be an honorary Pointer, too!

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