- 1/2 cup water
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, washed well and spun dry
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and, depending on size, halved or quartered
- 1/2 pint blackberries or black or red raspberries, picked over
- 6 Individual Spongecakes
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
- Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
- In a small saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add mint and simmer 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and with a wooden spoon crush mint against bottom and side of pan. Let syrup stand, covered, 20 minutes and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on mint.
- Add lemon juice and berries to syrup. Let berry mixture stand at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours to blend flavors.
- Peel off paper liners from spongecakes and halve horizontally. Put spongecake bottoms on 6 plates and spoon berry mixture over them. Divide sour cream among spongecakes and arrange spongecake tops on desserts.
- Garnish desserts with mint.