Strawberries With Mint Whipped Cream - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
2 cups packed fresh mint leaves, and stems coarsely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
1 cup heavy cream
1 quart strawberry, hulled and thinly sliced
1/8 1/8 cup toasted chopped macadamia nuts or 1/8 cup toasted chopped cashews

Preparation

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar, mint, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil.
Remove from heat; steep 15 minutes.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
Discard solids.
Let cool (makes about a cup).
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in cup of a syrup (store any remaining syrup); if needed, re-whip cream to stiffen.
Starting with strawberries, spoon alternating layers of strawberries and cream into four serving glasses. (You can use martini glasses or champagne flutes.).
Top each with a mint sprig and chopped toasted almonds (optional).
*You can also use the mint syrup to sweeten iced tea or lemonade. For a bracing cocktail, add a splash to a glass filled with seltzer, vodka, and lemon.