Total time: 30 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 20 min • Serves: 8 • Difficulty: Easy

By shellacking strawberries with a vanilla-scented, buttery, sweet-and-sour reduction, you may well morph them into one of the most sophisticated summer desserts. Just remember the rule: If a fresh strawberry doesn’t smell like anything, it probably won’t taste like much. You'll also love that this dessert takes a half an hour to make, and you only need five ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry or refrigerator. After mixing together the strawberries, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, vanilla extract, and butter in a baking dish, let everything bake away in the oven until softened and bubbly, which takes just 20 minutes, and your gorgeous-looking dessert is ready to go.