Felt like having strawberries, blueberries, and ice cream; bought them on sale. Found that I still have some balsamic glaze in my pantry and shredded green coloured desiccated coconut. I am adding coulis to my dessert.

“Halloween is an annual celebration on October 31st, originating from ancient Celtic and Christian traditions, featuring customs like dressing in costumes, trick-or-treating, and carving pumpkins. The name derives from “All Hallows’ Eve,” the night before All Saints’ Day, and initially marked summer’s end, associated with roaming spirits. Children collect treats by saying “trick or treat,” a tradition likely evolving from earlier practices of performing tricks or offering prayers for food. The pumpkin carving tradition, resulting in “jack-o’-lanterns,” comes from the tale of Stingy Jack, who lit his way with a carved turnip and a burning coal.”

“Strawberry coulis is a smooth fruit sauce made from puréed and strained strawberries, often sweetened with sugar and lemon juice, used to enhance desserts like ice cream and cheesecakes. The term “coulis” comes from French and refers to a strained purée, created by simmering, blending, and straining the strawberries to remove seeds.”

Yes, balsamic vinegar pairs well with strawberries and ice cream, enhancing the sweetness of the fruit and creaminess of the dessert. Typically, strawberries are marinated with balsamic vinegar and sugar before being served over vanilla ice cream.

Here’s my cute spooky Halloween dessert that the children would love to make if they are having friends over for a sleepover. It’s something to enjoy with friends or even adults too. It’s tangy, sweet, delightfully cute, scary, and delicious. Let’s spook your friends!!!

Ingredients

Strawberry coulis

2 punnets strawberries
40 g icing sugar
2 Tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate ice cream berries spooky

4 strawberries, stems removed
4 blueberries
2 scoops of chocolate ice cream
1-2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs water
balsamic glaze
green shredded coconut
black pepper

Method

Strawberry coulis

Rinse the strawberries in cold water and remove the stems. Add strawberries, icing sugar, and lemon juice to a pot over medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring as needed until the strawberries start to lose their moisture. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes or until the strawberries are very soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes or so.

Transfer the mixture to Nutri Bullet and add vanilla. Blitz puree until smooth sauce (it should coat the back of a spoon). Check and adjust the sweetness with a little more icing sugar if necessary. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve for an extra smooth finish, if you like. Refrigerate until chilled. (See Note)

Chocolate ice cream berries spooky

Caramelize sugar in a dry small pot over low-medium heat. Add water to sugar and simmer over lowest heat about 5 minutes. Remove the caramelised sugar from the hob. Allow to cool. Note: The caramelised sugar will thicken once it is cooled. If it gets too hard, add a bit of water to it. Stir to softened it.

Rinse the strawberries in cold water and remove the stems. Cut 2 strawberries into half. The remaining strawberries, make 2 small holes in each of them. Gently push in blueberries into the small holes of the 2 strawberries.

Next squeezed some balsamic glaze over the cool caramelised sugar. Stir to mixed well. Scoops 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream into bowl; at the top. Next place the 2 strawberries with eyes on top. Spoon some coulis and in slow motion pour the coulis over the 2 strawberries in between the 2 eyes; letting it drips down to ice cream.

Then drizzle with balsamic glaze caramelised sugar at the bottom. Sprinkle black pepper for a surprising and pleasant kick. Then put the halved strawberries sitting on top of the balsamic glaze caramelised sugar. Scatter some green shredded coconut on top of the 2 strawberries with eyes, over the chocolate ice cream and the halved strawberries. Enjoy you cute spooky dessert with a glass of dessert wine!!!

Note: I didn’t use pure bottled balsamic vinegar. If you are using it, best get the best quality balsamic vinegar. From the recipe I browsed saying: If balsamic glaze is too thin, return it to the pot and cook for a few more minutes. Allow it to cool with no lid on the container or bottle. Once it has cooled, store covered. Caramelised sugar may get hard when you add the vinegar to it. This is OK. It will dissolve into the vinegar again. Be careful not to burn the vinegar, or it will taste horrid and have your kitchen smelling for days. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat to make it reduce faster. It is extremely important that it is over low heat.

Coulis is characterised by its incredibly smooth texture, achieved by blending the fruit and then passing it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds. Simmering the strawberries intensifies their natural flavour, resulting in a sauce with a vibrant, concentrated strawberry taste. It’s a versatile sauce used to elevate a wide range of dishes, including ice cream, pancakes, tarts, waffles, and cheesecakes. This recipe can be prepared in advance. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

https://helenscchin.com/2022/10/10/chocolate-ice-cream-berries-spooky/

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