INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint sweet cream or vanilla ice cream
• 10 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed
• 12 turns on the peppermill of black pepper
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup water

PROCEDURE

Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften.

In a food processor, combine strawberries, black pepper, sugar, orange juice, and water.  Pulse until almost smooth, but with a few chunks left in the mixture.  Pour the mixture into a medium saucepot.  Turn the heat to medium, and bring to a bubble.  Simmer until the mixture comes together as a sauce, and slightly thickens—about 4 minutes.  Set aside to cool to room temperature, or just a touch warmer.

Spoon 4 large ice cream scoops of sweet cream ice cream into 4 bowls.  Pour the cooled strawberry-pepper sauce over the ice cream, and top with a simple cookie.  Serve immediately.