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Jackie Kennedy's Favorite No-Bake Dessert Was a Summertime Classic
Jackie Kennedy's Favorite No-Bake Dessert Was a Summertime Classic originally appeared on Parade.
Aside from being the First Lady to President John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy was a tour de force on her own. She was known for many things: her impeccable style (and bringing it to the White House), her deep appreciation of arts and culture, her distinct transatlantic accent, her effortless grace and her refined palate.
While she didn't often cook herself, she had a strong sense of what made a dish timeless, beautiful and perfect for entertaining. One dessert that's become synonymous with her signature elegance? Strawberries Romanoff.
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A classic midcentury treat, strawberries Romanoff is a chilled dessert made with fresh strawberries splashed with an orange or strawberry liquor and topped with a whipped cream-sour cream (or crème fraîche) mixture that's both rich and airy.
When he was the chef at the Carlton Hotel in London in the 1920s, French chef and restaurateur Auguste Escoffier originated this dish under the name "Strawberries Americaine Style." Then in the 1940s, Prince Michael Romanoff (not an actual prince, but an actor) 'borrowed' Escoffier's recipe using his own moniker, and strawberries Romanoff came to be.
Jackie Kennedy had a hand in popularizing it, too—strawberries Romanoff was on the menu when Princess Grace of Monaco visited the White House. The dessert feels fancy without trying too hard, which, coincidentally, also describes the former First Lady.
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😋😋. 🍳🍔
While there are many variations of the dish, the Jackie Kennedy version leaned on fresh seasonal berries, just a hint of liqueur for complexity and the dreamy tang of lightly sweetened whipped cream. Today, it remains an example of simple 20th-century entertaining. It's retro-feeling but super chic, indulgent but refreshing and it's perfect for summertime when you need a quick hit of sugar.
What's even better? You can have the entire dish prepped in just 10 minutes. And it requires just a few simple ingredients.
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Start by mixing together sour cream, brown sugar and brandy. If you don't want to use brandy in your dish, swap in vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream and sugar together until thick and billowy. Fold the whipped cream into the sour cream mixture and stir gently until combined. If you're making the dish ahead, pop the whipped cream mixture into the fridge until you're ready to serve. Slice up some fresh strawberries and serve them with a generous dollop of the cream.
Whether you serve it in a crystal coupe or a humble glass bowl, strawberries Romanoff is a dessert that still manages to feel special, more than 60 years after Jackie helped make it Kennedy's Favorite No-Bake Dessert Was a Summertime Classic first appeared on Parade on Jun 30, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
