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1 small fresh chile, seeded and finely minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Cream the butter with a fork, integrating all the ingredients, using about ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Taste and add more of any ingredient you deem necessary.

DESSERTS

SUGARED STRAWBERRIES

STRAWBERRIES WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

STRAWBERRY FOOL

STRAWBERRIES WITH SWEDISH CREAM

COEURS À LA CRÈME WITH STRAWBERRIES

EASY SUMMER PUDDING

CITRUS WITH HONEY AND MINT

MACERATED FRUIT

POACHED CHERRIES

DRIED FRUIT POACHED IN PORT

BAKED PEARS

SAUTÉED BANANAS

FIFTEEN-MINUTE FRUIT GRATIN

GRILLED FRUIT SKEWERS WITH GINGER SYRUP

LIME GRANITA

PINEAPPLE-GINGER SORBET

COCONUT SORBET

COOKIE DOUGH

OLIVE OIL COOKIES WITH RED WINE AND ROSEMARY

APPLE CRISP

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

FLAN

GINGER POTS DE CRÈME

CRANBERRY CLAFOUTI

MAPLE BREAD PUDDING

SUGARED STRAWBERRIES

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

THIS RECIPE AND the four that follow share one basic requirement: in-season, preferably locally grown strawberries. In the event that you can’t find strawberries that match that description, substitute any other berries—blackberries, blueberries, raspberries—that are at their peak.

Look for strawberries that are dark red, inside and out. The sugar will juice up any strawberries and make them sweeter of course, but it cannot work miracles.

1 quart strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced

¼ cup sugar, or more to taste

Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

Toss the strawberries with the sugar and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or until juicy. Serve, if you like, with whipped cream or ice cream.

STRAWBERRIES WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 15 MINUTES

HERE’S A STRAWBERRY dessert that not only is delicious and intriguing but also can compete with plain fruit in lightness. Strawberries are sugared to juice them up a bit, then drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with a pinch of black pepper. The result is so elegant that you’ll find it in great restaurants from here to Emilia-Romagna, the home of balsamic vinegar. It’s an ideal dessert after a heavy meal. Serve, if you like, with a few crisp cookies or a slice of pound, sponge, or angel food cake.

This will not hold for any length of time; you can sugar the berries an hour or two before you want to serve them, but no longer.

1 quart strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced, or a mixture of several berries

¼ cup sugar, or more to taste

1 teaspoon high-quality balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

About ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, torn or coarsely chopped (optional)

1. Toss the berries with ¼ cup sugar and let sit for 10 minutes or longer. Do not refrigerate.

2. Sprinkle with the vinegar; toss gently, then taste and add more sugar or vinegar if necessary. Sprinkle with the pepper and the mint if using, toss again, and serve.

STRAWBERRY FOOL

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

A SIMPLE TRADIONAL, and super-rich dessert.

2 cups strawberries, picked over and trimmed of stems

½ cup superfine or confectioners’ sugar, plus 1½ teaspoons, plus more if needed

1 cup heavy cream, preferably not ultra-pasteurized

1. Slice about two-thirds of the berries and toss them with ¼ cup sugar; set aside. Puree the remaining berries in a blender with ¼ cup sugar. Force the puree through a sieve to remove the seeds. Taste; the puree should be quite sweet. If it is not, add a little more sugar.

2. Beat the cream with the remaining 1½ teaspoons sugar, until it holds soft peaks. Beat in the puree, then fold in the sugared berries. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour.

STRAWBERRIES WITH SWEDISH CREAM

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 15 MINUTES

THIS MIXTURE OF sour and whipped cream is akin to crème fraîche, but I find it more delicious. It’s killer on strawberries.

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup sour cream

Sugar or honey to