Quickly wash the strawberries and pat them dry. Set aside one nice strawberry for each glass to use as a garnish, and dice the rest. Rinse the verbena leaves and tear them into thin strips.
Mix the diced strawberries with the verbena.
Egg custard
Crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks into two separate bowls. Beat the yolks with the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar until the mixture becomes light and creamy.
Add the mascarpone to the beaten egg yolks and mix well.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then add a tsp of powdered sugar at the end. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk and mascarpone mixture using a spatula. The cream will become light and fluffy.
Cookies
And now, let’s get to the crunchy part! Allow about two or three speculoos cookies per glass, depending on the size. Crush them into small pieces (rather than a fine powder) in a mortar, or place them in a freezer bag and roll over them with a rolling pin.
Assembly
In a dessert glass, spoon in four tsp of cream, being careful not to touch the sides of the glass. Next , add three tsp of crushed cookies, then top with the diced strawberries infused with verbena.
The Chef’s Tip
Use a verrine funnel to add the cream and other ingredients, keeping the top edges clean. Press down on the cream with the back of a spoon to smooth it out.
Spread another layer of cream on top. Garnish with a strawberry cut into quarters and sprinkle with the crushed cookies.
Add a verbena leaf and chill the glass for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
WHAT TO DRINK WITH THIS STRAWBERRY-MASCARPONE VERRINE: Pair this verrine with fresh, fruity wines such as a Moscato d’Asti, a light rosé, or a brut Crémant.