I don’t typically do a whole lot of baking. Why don’t I do more baking?? I’m more of a savory kind of person as opposed to sweet (unless it’s super-rich, dark, and chocolaty). But, this dessert may just sway me in the other direction. Might make me a baker after all (especially when summer berries are around).

Roasted Strawberry Tartlets with Ginger Snap Crust

Makes 3 (5-inch) tartlets

For the Crust

2 1/4 cups crumbled ginger snaps
6 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Roughly grind the gingersnap cookies in a food processor (yielding 2 1/4 cups). Add the melted butter and process until moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of each 5-inch tarlet  pan with removable bottom. Place the tartlet pans on a  rimmed baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool.

Assembling the Tartlets

Spoon the pastry cream into each tartlet. Gently remove each tartlet from its pan. Top with some roasted strawberries and mint for garnish. Dig in!!

Note: you can prepare the crust, pastry cream, and roasted strawberries ahead of time. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. Assemble the tartlet just before serving.

Ginger Snaps

yields 2 1/2 dozen cookies
3 ounces white sugar
3 ounces dark brown sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
1/4 cup (3 ounces) molasses
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
4 ounces crystallized ginger, finely chopped
9 ounces all-purpose flour (or half whole wheat, half all-purpose, or all white-wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degree.

Place the white and brown sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the molasses, egg, and fresh ginger and beat on medium for 1 minute. Add the crystallized ginger and using a rubber spatula, stir to combine.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, clove, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.

Form the dough into 1-inch balls. Place onto a parchment lined sheet pan approximately 2-inches apart. Gently press to flatten (but not completely),with the bottom of a cup.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 13 minutes for slightly chewy cookies or 15 minutes for more crisp cookies. Rotate the pan halfway through cooking.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Note: For a chewier cookie you can use all brown sugar (naturally more moist due to the addition of molasses). For a crispier cookie you can use all white sugar. I decided to split the difference and use half and half.

Roasted Strawberries

1 pound strawberries, cut in half
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fortified wine (such as Madeira, Marsala, sherry, or port); used Madiera

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries in sugar, balsamic, and wine. Place the strawberries on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes. Combine the juices and strawberries and transfer to a bowl or airtight container.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoon cornstarch
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cut into small cubes

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and salt over medium heat. Bring to a low boil. Slowly whisk in 1/2 of the milk mixture to the egg mixture. Add the remaining milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan, whisking nonstop until thick, about 2-3 minutes.

Pour into a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes to cool. Incorporate the butter, a little at a time, and whisk until completely smooth. Cover with plastic wrap so that it directly touches the cream, and let cool completely in the refrigerator.