I am not a huge cook when it comes to full meals, but desserts are most definitely my specialty.
Ever since I have made the switch to living a Gluten Free Lifestyle, I have lost a lot of my baking inspiration.
Gluten Free flour is available, yet for some reason it never tastes as good- so when I do bake, it is mostly
for others to enjoy. That being said, I have been on the search for sweet treat that I too can indulge in.
I came across this recipe for Balsamic Toffee Strawberries, and considering I am all about different- this union of strawberry & balsamic was right up my alley. I was good to go on ingredients as I had some leftover strawberries
from Saturday brunch, an unopened bottle of champagne balsamic vinegar that was shipped to me from my
Grandfather's store The Olive Press, and of course- Sugar!
Ingredients:
Strawberries (washed & dried), 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/3 water, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and sprinkles (optional)
Directions:
1. Prepare the strawberries by inserting a lollipop stick into the top of each berry & line a tray with parchment paper.
2. Combine the sugar, water, and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan on low heat. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve.
3. Increase the heat until the mixtures boils, let it continue to boil for close to 8 minutes without stirring. You want your sugar mixture to reach 300°F, which you can test using a candy thermometer. Make sure that your sugar mixture does NOT get hotter than 300°F or it will burn, trust me (it happened to me twice). Usually you can tell when toffee is done because it gets darker in color, yet that doesn't apply in this case due to the balsamic- so you have to go by temp.
4. Next, quickly dip your strawberries into the mixture and let the toffee drip off. At this point you can either let them cool, or dip them in colored sprinkles (I did 50/50). These should harden quickly & be ready to enjoy!
