I�m going to keep this pretty short and sweet. Today is/would have been my dad�s 63rd birthday. We�re having a little family birthday-Easter celebration. I'm making a twist on his favorite spring dessert (a tart with mascarpone and fresh strawberries), we're going to play several rounds of ruthless, competitive, cross-country croquet, eat a lot of Amanda�s amazing pulled ham, and of course, we're going to hunt some Easter eggs (with which we'll make classic deviled eggs, maybe this deconstructed egg salad, and probably this sriracha-sesame egg salad).
We�ll also sip on something fizzy, like these springy strawberry-balsamic-vanilla sodas! They�re sweet, but also a little tart, with tons of warm vanilla flavor. Super for a spring brunch or Easter lunch.
hbd, jfk. <3
Strawberry Balsamic Vanilla Sodas
Makes about 6 sodas
You can use regular vanilla extract, but I like the vanilla paste, because it adds little flecks of vanilla bean!
A little more than 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 Cup honey
1 Teaspoon vanilla paste (or regular vanilla extract)
1 Pinch sea salt
1 Pinch fresh ground black pepper
Ice & soda water to serve
To a saucepan, add all ingredients except ice and soda water. Stir together, and heat over medium-low heat until honey is dissolved and the berries start to break down, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature, the blend until smooth. You can strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth if you desire, but I like the berry seeds.
To serve, add about 1.5 tablespoons of syrup to a glass, fill with ice, then fill with soda water. Stir, and add more syrup as desired.
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