Strawberry Pudding and Macerated Strawberries with Strawberry Sugar

Ingredients

• For the strawberry pudding:
• 1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon half-and-half
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• 4 yolks from large eggs
• 2 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 stick unsalted butter, sliced
• For the strawberry sugar:
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1 ounce freeze-dried strawberries
• For the marinated strawberries:
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Strawberry sugar, for sprinkling, recipe above

Directions

1. For the Strawberry Pudding: In a bowl, whisk the granulated sugar with the cornstarch, tapioca starch, and salt. Pour the half-and-half, milk, and vanilla paste into a medium pot and place it over medium heat. Whisk in the sugar mixture until no grains remain, then cook while stirring nonstop with a silicone spatula until an instant-read thermometer registers 194 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and pour the pudding base into a blender.
2. Start blending the pudding base on low, then raise the speed slowly to medium. Add the egg yolks and blend, then add the freeze-dried strawberries. Puree for 30 seconds, until the mixture is smooth. Add the butter a piece at a time, blending until each piece disappears fully into the pudding. Pour the strawberry pudding through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl to catch the strawberry seeds. Leave it to cool, about 1 hour. Cover and chill until cold, about 1 hour longer. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
3. For the Strawberry Sugar: Add the confectioners' sugar and freeze-dried strawberries to a clean, dry blender. Begin on low, then gradually bring the blender up to high. Process until the strawberries and sugar become a very fine powder. Transfer the strawberry sugar to an airtight container and store it at room temperature.
4. For the Marinated Strawberries: Put the strawberries in a bowl. Sift or sprinkle the strawberry sugar over the top, stirring so the fruit is evenly coated. Taste and add more strawberry sugar as needed to suit the sweetness and flavor of the berries. Save any extra strawberry sugar for strawberry milk or for finishing the strawberry shortcake dish. Refrigerate until serving.