Red White and Blue - end of the story

Hi all,


This beautiful white chocolate soup looks like something really fancy – but it only takes about 20 minutes to put it together, plus some time to cool off. I would serve it slightly warm, with berries right out of the refrigerator for contrast.

In a saucepan, whisk together: 1 ½ cups almond milk (it adds a great flavor to the finished soup), ½ c. heavy cream, 1 t. of vanilla and 2-3 T. of Grand Marnier (more or less to taste). If you want to skip the Grand Marnier, that's fine - it just cuts some of the richness of the soup. Gently heat the mixture, stirring frequently.

Make a slurry of 2 t. cold water and 2 t. cornstarch and have it standing by (‘slurry’ just means you mix them together, but the cornstarch won’t completely dissolve.).

Chop 4-6 ounces (by weight) of white chocolate. It’s sweet enough that you don’t need any additional sugar. When the almond milk mixture starts to simmer, stir in the chocolate until it melts. Keep stirring and add the slurry. Stir until thick. Keep the temperature regulated so the mixture doesn’t come to a full boil.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool. It may form a skin on top – that’s fine, either scrape it off with a spoon before serving or stir it right back in. You can prevent the skin from forming by putting plastic wrap right on top of the soup; it just won’t cool quite as quickly.

Hull and slice fresh, chilled strawberries and place a mound of them – with blueberries, raspberries and any other fresh, chilled berries – in the bottom of a small bowl. This recipe makes 4 servings – they’re small, but quite rich. Spoon the soup into the bowl around the berries and top with a sprig of mint and orange zest, if desired. It's almost like dipping the berries in white chocolate fondue!  This dessert pairs well with a crisp champagne and makes a beautiful celebration on a plate. Enjoy – and until next time, I’ll see you at the market!