Good Eats: Fire-Roasted Strawberries

Last weekend, Jim and I ventured into the "Fruit" section of our Way to Grill cookbook to make these decadent strawberries for the dessert that followed another fabulous meal from the cookbook. These berries would have been tasty on our own, but we decided to ladle them over slices of Tastefully Simple Absolutely Almond Pound Cake. Pure heaven.

If you're feeling a little adventurous, try these strawberries! You'll be glad that you did!

Recipe for: Fire-Roasted Strawberries
From: Weber's Way to Grill

Ingredients:
2 pints (20 to 24) fresh, large strawberries, washed and blotted dry
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, or 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1. Hull and trim the stem end of the strawberries so that they are flat. In a medium bowl combine the berries, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur, and toss to coat.
2. Use the soft butter to generously coat the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8-inch ovenproof pan or disposable aluminum pan. The pan should be just large enough to hold the berries in a single layer with their sides almost touching (this allows the berries to gently support one another as they begin to soften). Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat.
3. Remove the berries from the bowl and line them up so that they fit snuggly, pointing up, in the prepared pan. Pour the contents from the bowl over the berries, and cook over direct high heat with the lid closed, until they're bubbling and beginning to slump, 8 to 12 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on the variety, size, and ripeness of the strawberries. Watch closely to catch them before they collapse.
4. Spoon the pan juices over the berries to moisten them, let cool for 5 minutes, and then carefully cut them into quarters or leave whole. Serve alone, or ladle over ice cream, shortcake, or pound cake.