Oh, this is good. Lemon-scented brioche buns split, filled with luscious roasted strawberry ice cream, and topped with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. A new take on ‘strawberry shortcake’!? I think yes. I can’t believe I never thought of this before. Brioche is a French bread that almost tastes like it could be cake. The texture is incredibly tender with a tight crumb. As a professional pastry chef, I can say that this kind of dough is your ultimate secret weapon in the kitchen. It makes the best cinnamon rolls, fries up the best doughnuts, and is excellent for french toast and bread pudding. I was already smitten with brioche a long time ago, when we met in pastry school. But to sandwich creamy, frozen custard in between it? [...]

Growing up, each summer my mom would take us to the strawberry patch down the road. We would pick the juicy, red berries in the early morning sun and ride a tractor back to the farm, loaded with our bounty. I loved squatting between the rows of plants, squealing at the occasional toad, and tasting the sweet berries. Grocery store strawberries, even when they were picked in season off in South America or California, still have nothing on these berries. So unless I have top-of-their-prime strawberries to work with, I like to roast ’em instead. Especially for treats like ice cream. Roasting deepens the flavor of the strawberries, and even if I happen to get a bland-tasting pint from the store, I can still be assured of a flavorful ice [...]