White Chocolate Basil Cream with Balsamic Strawberries

• regular cream↗284 мл ml
• large bunch of basil↗1

  leaves and stems torn, plus extra leaves for garnish

• high‑quality white chocolate↗300 г g

  chopped

• fine golden sugar↗50 г g
• balsamic vinegar↗2 ст. л. tbsp
• strawberries↗250 г g

  peeled and halved

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Pour the cream into a saucepan, add the torn basil leaves and stems. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, remove from the heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Then strain the basil and bring the cream to a boil again.

2. 2

   Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chopped white chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes to melt, and stir until smooth. Pour the cream into four serving glasses and chill for at least 1 hour until set (can be prepared a day ahead).

3. 3

   In a small saucepan, combine the fine sugar, balsamic vinegar, and 2 tbsp water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reduces by half, forming a thick sticky syrup (about 5 minutes). Cool, then drizzle it over the prepared strawberries and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

4. 4

   Spoon the marinated strawberries onto the chilled cream and garnish with fresh basil leaves.