by Chef Matthew Krenz

Spring is coming to an end and the first bounty from warmer weather will be disappearing from the markets. I have always enjoyed strawberries. They can be very dynamic. You can pickle the green ones, macerate them to make them even sweeter, and you can dehydrate the tops and steep them with your favorite teas. As a kid, for a few years I lived just north of Plant City in Florida, where many of the strawberries from grocery stores are grown (at least this time of year). My parents would take us to the strawberry festival and we would pick and come home with flats of strawberries. My mother would help us make strawberry freezer jam — something I passed down to my daughter this year. I hope she remembers the smells and the joy it brings for years to come. This riff on a tiramisu is meant to be a light and floral treat that even the kids can enjoy — I love my kids, but I’m not giving them espresso. Cheers!

Strawberry Tiramisu
Serves 8-10

16 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temperature
8 oz. heavy whipping cream
4 egg yolks
⅔ c. sugar
4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
4 tbsp. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
30-40 ladyfingers
1 c. strawberry juice (I used Suja’s strawberry blend)
¼ – ½ c. strawberry freezer jam (recipe follows)

1. Place egg yolks in a heatproof glass or metal bowl, then whisk in the sugar.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Place the bowl over the pot (without letting it touch the water) and whisk constantly until the mixture turns pale, fluffy, and doubles in size. Use gentle heat and keep the mixture moving to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Remove from heat.
3. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine cream and vanilla, then whip until stiff peaks form.
4. Adding a little at a time, stir mascarpone into the tempered egg mixture, adding more mascarpone once smooth. If needed, return the bowl over hot water to soften the mascarpone and make the mixture more smooth.
5. Fold ⅓ of your whipped cream into the yolk/mascarpone mixture, then add mixture to remaining whipped cream at fold until completely combined.
6. Combine strawberry juice, St. Germain, and Domaine de Canton in a shallow bowl.
7. Soak ladyfingers for a few seconds, turning over to saturate both sides. Remove from the liquid and line along the bottom of a rectangular baking dish or 8-ounce mason jar,, trying to cover the whole area.
8. Pour strawberry freezer jam in a smooth, even layer over the top of the ladyfingers.
9. Spread half of the whipped mascarpone mixture over top, then add another row of lady fingers.
10. Top with another layer of the remaining mascarpone mixture. Smooth out the surface and cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or for at least 12 hours. To mimic the cocoa powder on top of a traditional tiramisu, I ground some freeze dried strawberries and put them through a fine strainer over the top.

Strawberry Freezer Jam
½ c. sugar
1 c. water
1 lemon, juice only
1 qt. strawberries, tops removed and quartered
Salt, to taste

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, add sugar, water, lemon juice, strawberries and a pinch of salt and let simmer until the liquid reduces to a syrup-like consistency.
2. Remove from heat and add to a blender; blend until smooth. Set aside ½ c. for the tiramisu, then reserve the rest in a freezer-safe container and freeze until use.

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