I needed a light dessert to conclude a tasting menu. Initially, I considered serving small bowls of strawberries macerated with honey and balsamic vinegar—an easy way to elevate even average berries. But that felt a bit too simple. Instead, I decided to present the strawberries atop a crisp almond shell, which added both texture and elegance. After some experimentation, I perfected the shells, achieving a delicate crunch that complemented the fruit beautifully.

The final dessert was refined yet effortless: juicy, sun-ripened strawberries gently macerated in honey and aged balsamic, forming a luscious glaze that intensified their natural flavor. They were nestled on a thin, crispy shell made from almonds and honey, offering a satisfying contrast of textures. A sprig of fresh mint added a pop of color and a refreshing aroma, making the dish as visually appealing as it was delicious—an ideal finale to a summer meal.

The almond shells and strawberry prep can be done in advance. Macerate the strawberries about an hour before serving, and assemble the dessert just before it’s brought to the table to preserve the shells’ crispness.

Ingredients

For 6 servings

For the almond shells

• 30 grams unsalted butter + more for greasing the tins
• 60 grams caster sugar
• 20 grams honey
• 30 grams flour
• 40 grams almond meal

For the macerated strawberries

• 500 grams (1.1 lbs) strawberries
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp good quality aged balsamic vinegar
• 6 fresh mint leaves

Instructions

Melt 30 grams of unsalted butter over medium heat in a saucepan.

Add 60 grams of caster sugar and 20 grams of honey.

Stir over medium heat until well combined, then turn off the heat.

Add 30 grams of flour and 40 grams of almond meal.

Stir until the mixture is homogeneous. (This is surprisingly easy.)

Grease tins with a diameter of about 10 cm (4 inches) with melted butter. You could also bake the almond crisps on a baking sheet lined with oven paper, but then they will not obtain a shell shape.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F, fan forced.

Divide the dough into 6 equal balls of 30 grams each (using scales helps to do this evenly). Shape the balls with your hands.

I used a tortilla press to flatten the balls. You could also use a heavy frying pan. Place a ball of dough between two sheets of cling film in the center of the tortilla press.

Press down on the ball…

…to get a circle with a diameter of about 12 cm (5 inches).

Place the circle of al dough on a greased tin, and press with your fingers to fit the dough into the tin.

Repeat until you have finished all of them.

Bake the shells in the oven at 180C/350F (fan forced) until nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Do not let them become too dark, as that will turn them bitter. The shells will shrink a bit, but that is OK as long as you have a bit of a brim to keep the juices in. Allow the shells to cool before taking the shells out of the tins. The shells can be prepared in advance. Store them in an airtight container until you are ready to serve them.

Rinse the strawberries with cold water, drain them in a colander, and pat them dry with paper towels. Hull the strawberries. Slice strawberries in halves or quarters as needed to get more or less even pieces. The strawberries can be prepared up until this point and stored in the refrigerator until an hour before serving.

An hour before serving, drizzle the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of balsamic.

Stir with two large spoons until all of the strawberries have been covered.

Allow the strawberries to macerate for about one hour, stirring them after half an hour or so. Stir the strawberries one final time before serving, to make sure they are well covered with the glaze.

Place the strawberries on top of the almond shells, together with some of the glaze. Garnish with a fresh leaf of mint.

Wine pairing

This dessert requires a wine that works with both the freshness of the strawberries and the richness and toasted notes of the almonds. As always when pairing wine with a dessert, the wine should be at least as sweet as the dessert. At a wine pairing dinner I organized in my home we tried this dessert with the following wines:

• Ca’ Rugate La Perlara Recioto di Soave DOCG 2017, Veneto, Italy (Garganega). This sweet white wine from Veneto, made using the appassimento method (drying grapes before fermentation), paired very well with the dessert. The wine’s sweetness was just enough to match the honeyed almond shell, while its dried fruit and floral notes complemented the strawberries nicely. A balanced and elegant match.
• Château Coutet 2014 Barsac AC Premier Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France (75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle, aged 18 months in oak barriques, harvested in 7 rounds through the vineyard between September 24 and November 6 to select the best botrytized grapes each round). An outstanding pairing. This botrytized wine from Barsac (a Sauternes appellation) offered the perfect balance of richness and acidity to bridge the almond shell and the strawberries. Its honeyed, citrusy complexity enhanced both elements of the dessert, though it leaned slightly more toward complementing the strawberries than the almond.
• Tenuta Il Falchetto ‘Tenuta del Fant’ Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2022, Piemonte, Italy (Moscato Bianco, Charmat method). This lightly sparkling, aromatic wine was an excellent match for the strawberries, with its floral and peachy notes echoing the fruit’s freshness. It was also sweet enough for the almond shell, making it a refreshing and harmonious choice.
• Quady Elysium Black Muscat 2022, California, USA (Black Muscat). This intensely aromatic dessert wine, made from Black Muscat, initially paired well with the dish. However, the combination with the strawberries introduced a slight bitterness, possibly due to a clash between the wine’s floral intensity and the acidity of the balsamic. Still, a bold and interesting pairing.
• La Roncaia Picolit 2018 Friuli Colli Orientali Picolit DOCG, Friuli Italy (Picolit, late harvest at the end of October, dried for 6 weeks, aged 12 months in oak barrels). A beautifully balanced match. This rare late-harvest wine, known for its honeyed apricot and notes of dried fruit, complemented both the strawberries and the almond shell.
• La Tunella Verduzzo Friuli Colli Orientali Friulano DOC 2022, Friuli, Italy (Verduzzo). This wine paired very well overall, with its golden fruit and nutty undertones echoing the almond shell. However, it was just barely sweet enough for the richness of the almond component.