Strawberry Pazzo Cake with Herbed Crème Fraîche
"Twelve years ago, I made a simple bowl of "strawberries pazzo"?pazzo means "crazy" in Italian ? for my friend Ann Spivack (this book's co-writer). The combination of strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper has been part of my repertoire for decades. Ann thanked me by baking me this pazzo cake. This dessert?while easy to make?is a cut above a standard strawberry shortcake. The cake batter is very forgiving and comes out well when baked on your grill or in your oven. Bake this in a st..."
INGREDIENTS
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1 3/4 cups Crème Fraîche
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1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves (or minced fresh basil leaves)
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6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to grease the pan
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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, preferably gray salt
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
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1 egg
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1/2 cup whole milk
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
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4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
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A few grinds of fresh black pepper
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Confectioners' sugar for dusting, optional
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1 cup Roasted Strawberries with syrup , optional
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