Brandied Strawberries

For better or worse, I don’t have a sweet tooth and have never been a big fan of desserts and sweet treats.

Nevertheless, I can appreciate why some people are so passionate about dessert. After all, sweetness is usually associated with happiness and don’t everyone believe in a happy ending?

Well not me, or so it seems.

I have previously written about tragic endings which make love stories great. The good nature of the human spirit naturally yearns for a happy resolution. But when this feeling is provoked by a sense of bitter-sweet, it keeps us gripped and engaged. It breaks our heart because we cannot fully rejoice.

The contrast of bitter tragedy makes a story ending that much sweeter if only it ended the way we desired. Similarly, when sour or bitterness is cleverly balanced with sweetness in a food recipe, the outcome can be magical.

For this same reason, I believe French chocolatier Henri Le Roux, inventor of the salted butter caramel in the late 1970s was passionate in trying to discover a nouveau taste dimension – one that would make the taste of sweetness even more unforgettable.

So, after more than three and a half years of food blogging and recently inspired by a sweet yet citrusy dessert, I have finally penned my first blog post about a dessert recipe.

Well, it’s actually half a dessert recipe because I can think of so many delightful marriages for these brandied strawberrries. Their versatility is only limited by your imagination.

Enjoy!

Brandied Strawberries

Fresh strawberries

When I was a kid growing up in Malaysia, my favourite fruit was strawberries because they were often beautifully depicted in fairy tales and children stories. I was fascinated by the vibrant red and seed patterns on each strawberry. If strawberries came with vanilla ice-cream as they often did, I would finish the ice-cream first. Then, I would slowly savour the smaller strawberries first, leaving the biggest ones for last.

And about the only place in tropical Malaysia where one can find strawberries is in Cameron Highlands where the cooler climate is more conducive for it to thrive. I fondly remember it was only during family holidays to the highlands that I was able to get a taste of this elusive, fairy tale-like fruit.

It also did me no favours when lollies were sickly sweet with the artificial flavouring of strawberry. And the harder it was to find fresh strawberries, the more I loved them.

Remove green stems and half strawberries lengthwise

The romanticism of strawberries has waned as I grew older but I will always associate them fondly with my childhood.

       Print This Recipe / Listening Guide    

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I did not refer to any other brandied strawberries recipes on the internet and just used some common cooking sense.

Simmer 3 cups of water and 8 tablespoons of brown sugar

This is a relatively simple recipe which require a small amount of ingredients and cooking time. For someone who never prepares sweet treats and attempting a self-styled dessert recipe for the first time, I am extremely pleased with the outcome.

Well there are happy endings after all. Even for me, or so it seems.

Brandied strawberries

So dear readers, what was your favourite fruit when you were a kid and why?

ChopinandMysaucepan used Suncoast Harvest strawberries from Queensland that’s available when in season at Coles supermarkets. Two 250 gm punnets of these strawberries retail for $3 or $6 per kg.

Suncoast Harvest
535 Bells Creek road
Bells Creek, Queensland

https://www.facebook.com/suncoastharvest1

Tel: +61  413 275696

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