Easy and good recipe. Recipe isn't clear so here's the clarification: Chop all of the strawberries. Set 1/3 aside and cook the other 2/3. After cooking, combine all strawberries back together for your topping. Some like to puree the cooked topping before adding the fresh strawberries back into it. I just use a whisker to smash them up while they're cooking - That way I don't dirty my whole blender :) I use this to top white cake and angel food cake instead of the nasty store-bought glaze.
The directions seemed a bit confusing to me, but I needed a place to start. Here is what I did to come up with a topping for the New York Cheesecake III on this site: * I didn't have fresh strawberries on hand, so I used a 16oz. bag of frozen strawberries. I started by cutting them all up into smaller chunks. * I added 3/4 of the strawberries into the saucepan along with the sugar. I started to cook this on medium and let it go, stirring from time to time, for about 25 minutes. * Next, I used an immersion blender to smooth the mixture out. * Finally, I added the remaining stawberries and let them cook for about 3 minutes. Added the vanilla at the very end. This was the hit of the toppings I supplied with the cheesecake. The amount of sugar worked very well for 16oz of strawberries - not too tart, not too sweet.
This couldn't be easier and is so pretty! Delicious over cheesecake, ice cream or pound cake, this is equally as good prepared with frozen strawberries as well as fresh. For a little variation, I sometimes like to add a little berry liqueur such as Creme de Cassis or Chambord, but if you ask hubs this is perfect as is! On this occasion I used this to top "Perfect Cheesecake Everytime" and found that for this purpose I wanted the topping thicker so I thickened it with a bit of cornstarch and it was just what I was after. Also, since the strawberries I used this time were HUGE and very meaty, I mashed them coarsely and added a few drops of red food coloring to make the sauce more vibrant red.
I made this recipe this morning early for Saturday morning pancakes. My son likes the strawberry pancakes that Shari makes, but I can't justify paying $5 for something I can make better at home. This doubles really well and is simple enough for the kids to help make. Plus, it tastes better than the Shari's topping. IMO. I'll for sure make this again. UPDATED REVIEW: I have made this strawberry topping over and over again. I usually always double it, I use organic strawberries and pure vanilla extract. Besides using as a pancake topping, I like making this as a cheesecake topping. Specifically, Cheesecakemama's Perfect Cheesecake Everytime. Whenever I pair those two recipes together, people always ask for seconds and the recipes.
Wow what a great recipe!! I was a little confused by the direction but I figured it out. I made it a little different because I dont really like mushy strawberries. I took about 1/3 of the berries and sat them aside, I used the other 2/3 in the recipe whole. I cooked the sauce until it was as thick as I like it (maybe about 10 minutes)Than I took everything in the pan and pureed it in a blender. After that I added the 1/3 strawberries I had sitting aside to the sauce. This way the chucks of strawberries in the sauce are not so mushy.
This recipe was easy and practical but the really good news is that it also worked with blueberries. In fact, it turned out even better with blueberries! I used the exact same measurements and directions for the blueberry version and the result was an delicious even more professional-looking topping than the strawberry one.
I made this to top Chantal's New York Cheesecake on this site. It was delicious! Although I was a little confused by the directions, but here's how I ended up doing it: I cut up 1/3 of the strawberries and set the rest aside. I cooked the sugar/strawberries/vanilla as directed until the sauce thickened but then pureed all of it. Sliced the rest of the strawberries and mixed it all together. Chilled in the fridge and then topped the cheesecake. Delicious!
Yum! Made this for strawberry sundae as desert. My 3 year old loved it. Quick tip for cleaning the strawberry: use a plastic straw (not the really flimsy ones though) and poke the strawberry at the bottom and push through. The stem along with the core of the strawberry should come out easily. :)
I could eat this with a spoon, I love it that much. I cook it on a much lower heat for a longer period of time and I am generous with the vanilla as well. A stick blender directly into the pan saves on clean up.
2011-02-20 The recipe ingredients were doubled and cooked until thickened. After pureeing the cooked mixture & tasting it, I decided not to add in more sliced strawberries. The vanilla extract gave an unusual flavor & would not have been my first choice for flavoring the sauce.
