Strawberry season is the best season. Period. After a long winter of too many blood oranges and clementines—sorry, citrus, but you'll never be the best fruit group—I gorge on strawberries come spring. I love them, of course, for snacking on plain, but I also try to top them on whatever I eat for breakfast (oatmeal, toast, cereal) or dinner (strawberry salsa!) and work them into desserts.
In my quest to figure out ways to improve upon the already perfect fruit, I decided to turn up the heat and roast them—and then I nearly melted because roasted strawberries are maybe even better than fresh ones. Don't believe me? After hanging out in the oven for about 25 minutes, the berries caramelize, developing an intense sweetness as they break down and release their juices, which make an addictive candy-like syrup. (Do yourself a favor and taste it from the pan when it's still warm.)
Head here for the Roasted Strawberries recipe. Here's a step by step:
Slice off the stems of 1 pound strawberries.
Transfer strawberries to a parchment-lined baking sheet (so you can easily pour off the syrup) and add 1/4 cup sugar.
Toss well.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and toss.
Roast at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. (You can keep them in the oven for up to an hour; the more time they roast, the more syrup you'll get.)
Top them on a salad with arugula, feta, olive oil, and black pepper.
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