Lindsey Shere, the longtime pastry chef at Chez Panisse and the owner of the Downtown Bakery and Creamery in the Bay Area, has a wonderful way with fruit desserts<...
3 1/4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
1 cup water
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1 bottle dry Champagne
1 pint strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced lengthwise
In a medium saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let soften until no dry spots are visible, about 5 minutes. Melt the gelatin over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon just until no lumps remain; do not overcook. Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar until thoroughly dissolved. Stir in the Champagne. Pour the gelatin into a shallow bowl or plastic container, cover and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
To assemble, toss the strawberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Scramble the gelatin with a fork. Spoon a scant 3 tablespoons of gelatin into each of 6 wineglasses and top with a layer of berries; repeat two more times. Drizzle a little juice from the berries over the top and serve cold.
