Sophisticated Strawberries

This is a combination I’ve wanted to try out for ages! Ever since I saw a contestant on ‘Masterchef’ produce a dessert incorporating strawberries and basil in a sorbet, I can’t deny I’ve been intrigued. I mean; I love strawberries, and I love basil – but do the two really work together?! Well folks, I can – with first-hand experience – categorically say that they do! It’s like a match made in heaven. And when you combine them with some balsamic, you get a recipe worthy of a pizza blog post!

To make the base for this pizza, please click here.

Ingredients:

140g cream cheese

420g can of strawberries

Balsamic vinegar

Handful basil leaves

Method:

1. When the bases have finished proving and you’ve taken them out, turn the oven to 210°C.
2. This pizza recipe is slightly different from most of my other ones as I’ve found that with the toppings I’m using, it’s actually better cold. When the oven has reached the required temperature, bake the bases (with no topping) for 10 minutes.
3. This leaves enough time to marinate the strawberries in the balsamic vinegar. Drain away any syrup that may have been accompanying the strawberries and put them in a bowl. Pour over the balsamic vinegar so that the strawberries are nicely covered.
4. When the bases have been baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
5. Meanwhile, chop your basil and mix it into the cream cheese – this can then be spread over the bases.
6. Drain and half the strawberries, then dot around on the top.
7. Buon appetito!