Friday, May 28, 2010

La Madeleine's Strawberries Romanoff


There is something about eating at La Madeleine that I really enjoy. Their food is not that great. It tends to be rich and over cooked. But there is something that is so charming to me about the cafeteria layout and how you get to pick your food out as you walk towards the cash register. The place also is charming to me because it is exactly the kind of place my mom would take me to as a kid. Going out to eat with my mom was always a treat. It didn't happen often so each time we went felt pretty special. La Madeleine is exactly the kind of place she would choose. The pretty pastries displayed at the end of the lunch line was always a draw for her.

At La Madeleine, they have a dish called Strawberries Romanoff. Its fresh strawberries topped with a cream sauce that has a hint of liquor. Strawberries are so cheap right now. At Harris Teeter, they are on sale for $3 per lb. This is an easy to make dessert that is great for dinner parties or potlucks. Its really pretty and really rich tasting but is inexpensive.


Strawberries with Romanoff Sauce

1 cup strawberries, hulled and rinsed - $3 per lb
1/2 cup sour cream - $1 for one cup
1/4 cup of half and half - $2.69 for 16 oz carton
1 tablespoons brown sugar - $1.49 for 16 oz
2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar or white sugar - Free from previous purchase
2 tablespoon brandy - Free when you date a cocktail blogger (Please note that the bottle used for this recipe is $20 and a great tasting brandy. Its named Chalfonte.)

Rinse berries and trim stems.

Mix sour cream, half&half, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, and brand together and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Dilute sauce with half&half if it feels too thick. Place berries into bowl and pour sauce on top. Serve.

4 comments:

  1. This look scrumptious. Growing up in Russia, we ate a similar but much simpler version of this: just sour cream mixed with sugar :) Your is for sure better!

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  2. Oh...it would be even cheaper without the liquor. :)

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  3. Thanks for this - finally, a delicious dessert that looks so easy not even I could screw it up (did I just jinx myself?).

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  4. I would take my mom often to La Madeleine in Dallas just for their strawberry Romanoff. Such good memories. Wish they had one in Colorado. I'm sure they would do very well!

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