Lunch: Strawberry Waffles with Strawberry-Black Pepper Butter and Lemon Curd Cream

Ingredients

24 ripe strawberries
2 heaping tablespoons pure cane sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons raspberry liqueur, optional
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus 4 tablespoons, melted, for the waffle iron

Instructions

For the strawberry waffles: Finely dice eight of the strawberries, and combine in a small bowl with 1 heaping tablespoon sugar and the raspberry liqueur if using. Let sit at room temperature until the strawberries soften slightly and release some juice, about 15 minutes. Thinly slice the remaining strawberries lengthwise, and toss with remaining 1 heaping tablespoon sugar. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and whisk until the mixture just comes together. Fold in the diced strawberries and their juices, and the melted butter until just combined (if the strawberries are super juicy, use a slotted spoon to transfer the berries to the batter and add just a teaspoon or so of the juices). Cover, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. For the strawberry-black pepper butter: Combine the strawberries, butter, honey, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until almost smooth. Scrape into a bowl, and set aside at room temperature. For the lemon curd whipped cream: Combine the heavy cream and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip until slightly thickened. Add the lemon curd, and continue whipping until soft peaks form. Chill until ready to serve. Heat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions. Brush with melted butter, and ladle batter onto the iron. Close the cover, and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately, or transfer the waffle to a rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200-degree oven. Repeat with the remaining batter and melted butter. Top the waffles with strawberry butter, sliced strawberries and a dollop of the whipped cream.