JUNE STRAWBERRIES WITH A SIDE OF LATTICE

​
Serves 4
 
For the Lattice- 
 
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pink peppercorns
½ cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup ice cold water combined with 1 teaspoon orange bitters
 
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and ground peppercorns. Add the cold butter pieces, tossing to coat in the flour mixture. Use your fingers to incorporate the butter, gently rubbing the butter pieces between your fingers; you should have mostly pea-size pieces with some larger pieces. Gradually add the ice cold water and bitters to the flour/butter mixture, tossing the dough just until it becomes shaggy and just holds its shape. Gather the dough together and gently press it into a rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out. When chilled, roll the dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper into a rectangle, about ⅛” thick. Use a pastry wheel or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1” strips. On a separate sheet of parchment paper, create a lattice by placing one lattice strip in the center of the parchment, then another strip perpendicular to the first strip, forming a “t.” Add the remaining strips to create a lattice. Slice the parchment with the lattice onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, until firm. Cut circles of the lattice using a 2” cookie cutter. Refrigerate the lattice circles while you prepare the berries.
 
For the strawberries- (from Matt Jennings)
 
1 quart local strawberries, stems removed and hulled
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon elderflower liqueur (I used St. Germaine)
 
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the strawberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly with the sugar.
With the stem-side down, place the strawberries on the rack. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, just until the berries soften and release some of their juices. (They should still hold their shape.) Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
 
Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.  Prepare the basil sugar.

 For the Basil Sugar-
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons fresh basil
 
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, process the sugar and basil until fine. Set aside. 

Slice the berries in half, and place them (along with any juices from the baking sheet and the sliced fruit) in a large bowl. Add the elderflower liqueur and toss gently to coat. Retrieve the lattice circles from the fridge and bake in the 425 degree F oven for 12-15 minutes, just until golden. Sprinkle with basil sugar. Serve with the strawberries and freshly whipped cream or ice cream.
 
(Any leftover strawberries should be covered and refrigerated. Any leftover lattice should be kept in an airtight tin.)