Berries with Lime Syrup

Serves 8 Preparation Time: 10 minutes, plus macerating time Can be made up to 12 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated

Drizzle berries with a quick and easy lime and piloncillo syrup, shower them with fresh lime zest, and let them luxuriate for a bit, and you have a bowlful of berries ready to attend a gala.

• 1 pound strawberries, stemmed and cut into halves or quarters, depending on size
• 8 ounces blueberries
• 4 ounces blackberries
• 4 ounces raspberries
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar, or to taste

1. Place the berries in a large bowl, along with the lime zest.
2. In a small bowl, mix the lime juice with the piloncillo, stirring until well dissolved. Pour the syrup over the berries and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: You can use frozen berries in this recipe as well. Freezing your own berries is very easy to do. Just rinse, drain, and pat dry (if using strawberries, remove the stems and caps). Then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer for an hour to overnight, so they freeze separately and won’t stick to one another when you transfer them to a bag. Transfer to a freezer bag, seal tightly, and place them back in the freezer. They will keep for up to a year.

Piloncillo (also called panela or panocha) is cane sugar in its most unrefined form: crushed, juiced, boiled down, and poured into molds called pilones—hence the name. Once the piloncillo juice hardens, it turns into solid blocks, which are wrapped and stored.

Because piloncillo is so hard, you need to either grate or finely chop it with a sharp knife. If you can’t find piloncillo, you can substitute dark brown sugar, but the flavor will be less complex. Piloncillo has a deep flavor with a hint of caramel and coffee. It reminds me of Mexican countryside food: real and made from scratch.

Look for piloncillo in Latin markets or in the Latin aisle of the supermarket. It is worth the hunt. The rich, dark, intricate flavor of this unrefined sugar will give even your morning coffee a boost.