Name: Easy, Impressive Strawberries Romanoff
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 7 cups quartered strawberries (This is about 2 pounds of strawberries.); zest and juice of one large orange; 2 tbsp. granulated sugar; 1/4 cup Grand Marnier, or other orange-flavored liqueur; 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream; 2 tbsp. powdered sugar; 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

the best, easy strawberries romanoff parfait recipe — *The background to these delicious parfaits is actually a painting from my talented artist friend, Graham Hearne. Check out his Instagram @oneirogen_art!*

It’s finally getting a bit warmer in Colorado, as Easter approaches and the promise of balmy, carefree summer days is fresh in our minds. With this comes the desire for fresh, light, and healthy desserts–not that I would pass up a good croissant or buttery pastry...although, those are quite light (in texture, not calories…sigh….).

I saw that strawberries were on sale in my local supermarket, and with the aforementioned summer-inspired jauntiness, I knew that I wanted to make this dessert over the weekend. Plus, it’s ideal for busy days–the actual prep time of this dish is practically zilch. Yet, it’s also elegant, and even chic; you could serve this dessert at any special occasion and would probably receive a profuse amount of compliments on your hard work–little do your guests know, it’s as easy as pie…err…Strawberries Romanoff…

This strawberry treat features fresh strawberries macerated in orange juice, orange liqueur, and orange zest (enough orange already?), all finished with a strawberry-infused whipped cream on top. It’s perfect for summer, and–dare I say–even pretty healthy (I mean it’s basically 95 percent fruit…so I’m calling it healthy…we’ll just pretend the whipped cream is good for you…).

I like serving this dessert out of tall parfait or ice cream glasses, but feel free to put it in any bowl or glass you find the best. I think the tall glasses just give it a particularly elegant look, and also seem to provide the best mingling of whipped-cream and strawberry flavor.

Here’s the recipe:

Easy, Impressive Strawberries Romanoff

This dessert is super simple to make, and it’s flavor and lightness complement laxidaisacal summer days. It’s name comes from the Hollywood restanteur, Michael Romanoff (although he didn’t actually invent it!) who popularized the orange-strawberry treat in America. Strawberries romanoff is an elegant and impressive dessert to serve, particularly during spring and summer months when strawberries are bountiful, sweet, and fresh–plus, it requires minimal preparation (ideal for those lazy summer months). While strawberries romanoff often uses a mixture of whipped cream and ice cream for topping, I have opted to use a strawberry-infused whipped cream instead–it’s a lighter, healthier option that makes this a fresh-tasting, delicious end to a meal. Plus, it’s spiked with booze–in other words, this dessert provides the ultimate summer relaxation (drink responsibly, kids!).

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Prep Time 20

Rest in Fridge 1

Total Time 1 20

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, russian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

7 cups quartered strawberries This is about 2 pounds of strawberries.
zest and juice of one large orange
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 cup Grand Marnier, or other orange-flavored liqueur If you want to make this without alcohol, just add orange juice here instead.
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Measure out the strawberries into a large bowl.
NOTE: When quartering the berries, try to keep an even size–if it’s an especially large strawberry, for instance, you might need to make smaller pieces than quarters. Just try to keep everything equal, for nicer presentation and overall texture.
Add orange juice and zest, granulated sugar, and the orange-flavored liqueur (or extra orange juice, if using instead).
Mix ingredients together (gently) in the bowl. Cover and let macerate in fridge for 1-2 hours. Alternatively, you can do this step the day before and let the strawberries sit overnight. I wouldn’t do this any earlier, though, as the strawberries could break down too much and become overly mushy.
After the strawberries have been refrigerated for the adequate time, take the bowl out of the fridge. Drain the strawberries, reserving all the liquid.
Place about 1/4 of the strawberries into a food processor, along with all the remaining liquid. Process until smooth. Set aside this strawberry puree for later.
In four tall parfait glasses (or any vessel of your choosing), divide the strawberries until they are about 1/2-1 inch from the top. Pour about 2 tsbp. of the strawberry puree over each glass, gently mixing it into the strawberries. Set aside.
In a cold bowl (I like to keep mine in the freezer 10-15 min. prior to whipping), beat together the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Make sure to not overwhip the cream; it will start to look curdled at that point (whipping cream too much actually makes butter!).
Once the cream is whipped, gently fold in about 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree.
Spoon the strawberry whipped cream into each of the glasses. The amount depends on your preferences–I like to use 2-3 tbsp. of whipped cream per glass, so that it peaks over the top nicely. Finish the dessert by drizzling some more of the strawberry puree over the top of the whipped cream.
Serve, preferably on a warm, lazy day, and enjoy 🙂

Notes

The complete dessert is best the day it’s made; however, the strawberries can be kept (without the whipped cream) for 2-3 days in the fridge. Just be wary about the strawberries getting too mushy if they over-macerate.

You can also do some steps ahead of time; feel free to make the strawberry mixture and refrigerate it up to one day ahead of serving.

Although I think this dessert is optimal (and most fun!) with the booze in it, you can also use extra orange juice in place of the liqueur. That way, the kids can eat some of this delicious, light summer dessert as well 🙂

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Recipe: Easy, Impressive Strawberries Romanoff