Roasted Strawberries - Herbivore Cucina

Have you ever tried roasting strawberries? A two ingredient recipe that is perfect as a topping for yogurt, granola or ice cream!

I always buy strawberries when I go to the Farmer's Market. I love how they can be used in many many ways. Sometimes I make milkshake using them, sometimes muffins and most often I devour them straight from the refrigerator!

For the longest time I enjoyed them raw. Then I had the roasted version of these strawberries and fell in love with that. Since then, I make sure I have a jar full of these berries in my refrigerator. Once I reach the bottom of one jar, the second lot is baking in the oven!

To make these, all you need is strawberries and sugar. While the method is really simple, I like to make these when I am baking something else. That way I end up with two things baked in the same time! The tougher task is to wait for the strawberries to cool before I can devour them. Because, all so often I end up burning my tongue with the HOT berries.

And you know what, the recipe is forgiving in terms of how the berries are. So if you are like me and get carried away in the farmer's market and bring home a TON of strawberries, this recipe is perfect to use them all immediately. Though the pack might have some really ripe ones and others just ripe, use them all. The combination will turn out perfect. And if you brought them home and forgot to use them for a few days, they might be a little over ripe. In that case too, the roasted berries come out perfect. Just adjust the amount of sugar and you are all set!

You can make a jar full of these berries and use them for a week. Just make sure you cool the berries completely, transfer them to an airtight jar and refrigerate. Use them as required. I have tried this many times, the only problem is that I end up finishing the berries within a couple of days!

Wondering where I use them in such quantities? Here is where they go: On Greek Yogurt, with Ice-Cream, on Pancakes and Waffles, as a topping for Tropical Chia Pudding and in desserts like this Mousse Cookie Jars. And lastly, I eat them with a spoon, straight out of the jar! I once tried a milkshake using the roasted berries and the result was amazing. I am still trying a few additions and variations to that recipe till I fall in love with the recipe and it is ready for the blog!

Now that Spring is here and Easter is around the corner, I am making a big lot of these berries. You ask why? Because these will go into the baskets I am making to take along for Easter parties. And yes, they will also make perfect hostess gifts for my friends who are hosting barbecue parties starting this Sunday! Are you making these for your Easter baskets too?

Variations

While I roasted the strawberries with just sugar, the berries are perfect if you add some Vanilla Extract or Balsamic Vinegar to the strawberries. The Vanilla infused ones work really well with ice-cream and pancakes. And yes, try adding the Balsamic roasted berries to a salad. The combination is KILLER!