Harold's strawberries and cream with buttery basil cookies

This was one of the first recipes I came across when I was initially researching cheese books for this blog. It comes from Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials; a book, in my opinion, that is a must have for every person interested in learning about cheese. It's small enough that you could stow it away in your handbag yet filled with such great quantities of information that you'll look like a cheese rock star when you step in to a cheese shop and begin to discuss the varieties of surface ripened cheeses.

The recipe was created by Harold Dieterle, a former Iron Chef winner. Immediately I was hooked by the idea of baking a cookie with basil as an ingredient. I've also been interested in finding a dessert recipe that stars cheese in a main role. The sweetness of the vanilla infused strawberries, the creamy earthiness of the brie and the indescribable pleasure of a soft, buttery basil cookie all work together to make this worthy of an Oscar. And the cookie, oh the blessed cookie! Light, buttery, slightly sweet with a nice hint of basil. It's one of the best things I've tasted in such a long time and such a simple thing to make too. What an excellent way to use up the abundance of summer strawberries and fresh basil. Serve this up for dessert at your next dinner party and your guests will be oohing and ahhing for sure.

Side note: the recipe calls for a nice big wedge of La Tur cheese, which is a surfaced ripened creamy cheese. So creamy in fact that it could be eaten with a spoon. It is said to be the crown jewel of all surface ripened cheeses. Unfortunately, my local cheese shop doesn't carry it so I ended up with a nice wedge of double cream brie. Next time I'm going for the La Tur even if it means putting on my cheese radar and driving 30 miles to find it.

RECIPE

For the cookies:
2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons of fresh basil, julienned and one sprig for garnish
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted

For the strawberries:
3/4 cup of water
1/3 cup of sugar
2 cups strawberries, stems removed and quartered
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cheese:
8oz of La Tur cheese (or similar soft brie style cheese)

To make the cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until frothy, about 2 minutes (a hand mixer will do the job too). Slowly add the sugar until soft peaks form, about 5 to 10 minutes. Slowly drizzle the melted butter in to the egg white mixture and mix for 1 minute. Add the flour and basil and mixed until incorporated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mound tablespoons of the batter 2 inches apart on the sheet. Place about 2-3 almonds on each cookie. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Cookies are best when eaten that day but you can also store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Makes 16 cookies.

To prepare the strawberries:
In a medium size saucepan, combine water and sugar over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Let cook 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. This is your "simple syrup."

Measure out 1/3 cup of the simple syrup. Reserve the rest for another use. Put the strawberries, simple syrup and vanilla in a saucepan you used to make the simple syrup. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let come to room temperature. The strawberries will continue to release liquid as they cool.

To assemble:
Place 2 cookies on either side of 8 dessert plates. Place a slice of cheese in the middle of the plate. Using a slotted spoon, put a few strawberries next to the cheese. Garnish with a sprig or two of fresh basil on each plate. Serve right away.