strawberry sauce

• 6 large strawberries, hulled
• 1 tablespoon sugar

bavarian cream

• 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Cognac
• 1 fresh (moist) vanilla bean, split lengthwise

caramel sauce

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Vanilla Whipped Cream

For Strawberry Sauce: Purée strawberries and sugar in a blender until smooth. Divide sauce among 4 flute glasses.

For Cream: In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cream. In a large saucepan, stir together remaining 3⁄4 cup cream, milk, sugar, cognac and vanilla bean. Bring mixture to low boil over medium heat, stirring, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add gelatin mixture to hot cream mixture and whisk thoroughly to combine. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl (preferably stainless steel). Set bowl into a large bowl of very cold water (adding 2 or 3 ice cubes, if necessary), and stir mixture until cool and thickened (like barely soft peak whipped cream) but still liquid, about 15 minutes. Remove vanilla pod and scrape seeds into mixture; reserve pod for garnish, if desired.

Divide cream among flute glasses; chill until set, about 1 hour.

For Caramel Sauce: Put granulated sugar in a small heavy saucepan and crumble brown sugar over. Melt sugars, undisturbed, over medium-low heat until granulated sugar is mostly melted. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until mixture becomes deep golden caramel; remove from heat. Carefully pour in cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel will harden slightly); return to heat. Simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce into a 1-cup measure and cool to just warm.

Serve Bavarian cream with caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with pieces of reserved vanilla bean, if desired.