Black Pepper-Roasted Strawberry Sundaes with maple cacao nibs
This is a lovely one to prepare in advance as both the roasted strawberries and caramelised cacao nibs store well. I’ve used dairy-free vanilla ice cream, but of course, chocolate would be another great alternative!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1litreof your favourite vanilla ice creamI used Little Island dairy-free
500gramsfresh strawberrieshulled
1tablespoonpure maple syrup
freshly ground black pepper
maple cacao nibs
1/2cupcacao nibs
2tablespoonspure maple syrup
pinch fine salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200C (400F). 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.
Notes
This recipe was first created for and featured in Nourish Magazine, NZ.