Recipe and Images Emma Galloway
This is a lovely one to prepare in advance as both the roasted strawberries and caramelised cacao nibs store well. I’ve used vanilla ice cream but, of course, chocolate would be another great alternative!
Serves 4
1 litre of your favourite vanilla ice cream (I use Little Island dairy-free)
500g fresh strawberries, hulled
1 tbsp maple syrup
freshly ground black pepper
Maple Cacao Nibs
½ cup cacao nibs
2 tbsp maple syrup
pinch fine salt
Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut strawberries in half and transfer to an ovenproof dish. Drizzle over maple and add a few generous grinds of black pepper – how little or much is up to you, or simply leave off if it’s not your thing. Roast 20–25 minutes or until berries are tender and a lovely thick syrup surrounds them. Remove from oven and set aside until cool. These can be prepared up to two days in advance and stored in a lidded container in the fridge (where the colour actually becomes richer).
Combine cacao nibs, maple syrup and a pinch of fine salt in a small frying pan over medium-high heat and cook 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the maple starts to caramelise. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool, where they will harden further. These can also be prepared in advance and stored in a lidded jar at room temperature for up to a week.
To serve, scoop ice cream into glasses, top with roasted strawberries and a little of their syrup and scatter with cacao nibs.
