An exquisite little dessert dish that combines the best of everything: strawberries, ravioli and a little cacao. How can this be bad? Well, it's not, so get out there and enjoy! Ingredients: Pear Cream Filling: 1/2 cup cashews, soaked 2 to 4 hours (soaking recommended, but not necessary) 3/4 medium bosc or bartlet pear 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 pint fresh strawberries Cacao Sauce: 2 tablespoons shaved raw cacao butter 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder 1 teaspoon agave, or to taste Preparation: Pear Cream Filling: In a blender—or Magic Bullet at my house—grind cashews into a flour. Coarsely chop pear. Add it and lemon juice to the cashew flour and blend until smooth. Set aside. (Pear Cream Filling can be made a day or two in advance.) Strawberries: Cut 1/4″ segments that can then be sliced to create a pocket. Depending on the size of your berries you may want to slice them lengthwise or crosswise, or alternate. To utilize the strawberry's natural heart shape remove the stem with a V cut and slice lengthwise. Spoon filling into strawberry ravioli and place directly on a plate. Cacao Sauce: In a double boiler—or your own version—melt the cacao over low heat (the cacao will melt without exceeding the critical 118 degrees). Add cacao powder and stir until dissolved. Add agave, keep stirring. (You may want to use more than a teaspoon of sweetener if you're a milk chocolate fan or your strawberries aren't sweet. Omit it if you prefer dark chocolate.) Drizzle desired amount of cacao sauce over ravioli. Serve immediately, this is a great dish to share. BM
