Eton Mess

June 4, 2023 Belinda

Donal Skelton is a super Irish chef and cookbook author.
Picture this: layers of crushed meringue folded through delicately whipped double cream, laced with the aromatic essence of vanilla bean paste and a dusting of icing sugar. To top it all off, simple sweet macerated Irish strawberries. The stuff of summer dreams!

Serves 6
1lb (500g) fresh sweet strawberries, hulled and halved
11 fl oz (300ml) heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered (icing) sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
8-10 store-bought meringue cookies (nests), roughly crushed
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

In a bowl, combine the strawberries and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. Set aside to macerate while you prepare the rest of the dessert.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cream, remaining powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste until soft peaks form. Be careful not to overmix – you want a beautifully luscious texture with no graininess!

Gently fold the crushed meringue cookies into the whipped cream mixture.

Now, it’s time to assemble! Use a large serving platter and begin layering the Eton Mess. Start with a spoonful of the meringue and cream mixture, then add a layer of macerated strawberries and more lightly crushed meringue. Repeat this process, creating beautiful alternating layers in a large pile.

Finish off your Eton Mess with a final flourish of macerated strawberries on top.
To add a touch of freshness and vibrancy, garnish each serving with a few mint leaves.

Finally, grab a spoon and serve straight to the table.

Baking · Do-ahead · Fruit

Strawberry Summer Sheet Cake

June 21, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

Lovely recipe from “Smitten Kitchen”

SERVINGS: 12 TO 16

“This is a light update and scaled-up version of my Strawberry Summer Cake in the archives. In the original version, I suggest up to a 50% flour (here I’d suggest 1 cup) swap of barley flour, if you’ve got it. It’s not like other wholegrain flours, but much more silky and delicate. It has a subtle creamy, nuttiness goes well here.”

9 tablespoons (125 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) plus 3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (175 ml) milk, whole is preferred but all varieties have worked
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) of the freshest, even a touch overripe, strawberries, hulled and halved

Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

Lightly coat the sides and corners of a 9×13-inch cake pan with butter or nonstick spray, and fit the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat butter, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Add milk and mix until (updated) combined; it may look a little curdled but don’t fret, it will smooth out in a minute. Sprinkle baking powder evenly over batter and beat into batter for 20 seconds longer than will seem necessary — this ensures it’s perfectly distributed. Scrape down the bowl. Add flour and beat or stir until just combined.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Arrange strawberries cut side down, as snugly as you can get them to fit. If you have extra, nudge them in anyway. Leave no strawberries behind. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar — it will seem like a lot but helps the strawberries get jammy and gives the cake a great texture.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out free of wet batter (gooey strawberries are a given and doesn’t mean it’s under-baked) — about 45 to 48 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into squares and serve as is, or with lightly sweetened whipped cream, if you’re Deb.

Do ahead: Cake is even better a half- to a full day later, when the strawberries marry with better with the cake. I like to leave the cake uncovered at room temperature so it doesn’t get sticky on top.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Icecream

Strawberry, rosemary ice cream

August 6, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

In the heat of summer, an ice cream like this tastes of the garden with the sweet strawberries and rosemary infused creaminess. Lovely served with grilled stone fruit.

Makes about 1 quart

1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 tbsp floral honey
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

In a small bowl mix the strawberries and honey. Let macerate for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
In a medium saucepan whisk the cream, milk, sugar and salt over low heat. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved and the cream is just below boiling. Stir in the rosemary, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

Strain the cream mixture into a medium bowl, discarding the rosemary. Stir in the strawberries and juice. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Baking · Dessert · Do-ahead

Summer strawberry shortcake

July 29, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from “Jane Grigson’s Fruit Book” for the New York Times
Adapted by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

There’s a kind of magic in a summer recipe that you can make wherever you are, provided that wherever you are has, say, flour, butter, an oven and whatever fruit is most glorious is at that very moment. This is one such recipe, so simple that you can decide that you’re having shortcake for dessert and make it so within the hour, and so satisfying that it may become your go-to for summer, the recipe you keep in your back pocket. Strawberries are the classic choice, but this would also be heavenly in high summer with very ripe peaches or any other juicy, macerated fruit. —Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Serves 4

2 pints ripe, well-rinsed strawberries
½ cup sugar, or more to taste
4 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
5 tsp baking powder
1 ¼ cups butter (softened)
3 cups whipping cream
¼ tsp vanilla extract

Pick over and hull strawberries. Cut in half or slice, depending on size. Gently crush about a quarter of the berries with a fork to release their juices. Mix with remaining berries and the 1/2 cup of sugar, adding more sugar if necessary. Set aside, covered, for about half an hour to develop flavor.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Into a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt and baking powder.
Add 3/4 cup of softened butter, and rub into dry ingredients as for pastry.
Add 1 1/4 cups cream, and mix to a soft dough. Knead the dough for one minute on a lightly floured pastry board, then roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut an even number of rounds – 2 rounds per serving.

Use a little of the butter to grease a baking sheet. Place half the rounds on it.
Melt remaining butter and brush a little on the rounds; place remaining rounds on top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, and pull shortcakes apart. Brush the insides with some of the remaining melted butter.
Beat remaining cream until it thickens. Add vanilla. Beat again just until thick.
Place a bottom half of a shortcake on each plate. Top with a generous spoonful of berries. Cover with a top half, add a few more berries, and top with whipped cream.
Serve immediately.

Dessert

Strawberries steeped in port with mascarpone and honey cream

August 6, 2020 Belinda

Oh my, this is so simple and gorgeous!

Serves 4

2 pints (950ml) strawberries

1/4 cup (60 ml) port

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) mascarpone cheese

2 tbsp a good liquid honey

1/2 cup (120ml) whipping cream, softly whipped

Quickly wash the strawberries and dry by setting them on paper towels. Hull and cut the berries into quarters. Transfer to a bowl and add the port and sugar. Stir gently to combine and let sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour.

Whisk the mascarpone with the honey until smooth and fold in the whipped cream.

Spoon the berries into four wine glasses and garnish with the mascarpone crea

Dessert · Fruit

Rosemary and Marsala strawberries with lemon creme fraiche

July 30, 2019 Belinda

I don’t know about you, but I often buy strawberries from the supermarket that really don’t taste of much.
Here is a great and easy way to change that and it’s lovely served hot or cold.
Recipe from Delicious magazine

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1lb hulled, halved strawberries
7 fl oz sweet marsala
3.5 oz caster sugar
2 good sized rosemary sprigs
7 oz pot of crème fraîche
2 tbsp icing sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice

Heat the strawberries, marsala, caster sugar and rosemary in a large pan. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes to soften the fruit slightly, then remove from the heat.
Mix the crème fraîche with the icing sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Spoon the warm berries and juice into 4 bowls, top with the crème fraîche and devour.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free · Vegan · Whole30 compliant

Avocado, strawberry and mango salsa

July 31, 2018September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is the quickest, tastiest summer salsa and can be served either with pita chips as an appetizer or as a side to a lovely piece of salmon, which we particularly love. These flavors complement salmon beautifully.
It takes about 20 minutes to make and is the perfect summer dinner party side.

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1 heaped cup diced strawberries (a little more than a half pound of strawberries)
1 heaped cup diced ripe mango (from 2 large mangoes)
2 avocados, diced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 tbsp finely diced red onion
4 tbsp diced cilantro
2 limes, juiced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to combine.
Garnish with extra cilantro.
Great served with pita chips for dipping and also great served on salmon, fish tacos or shrimp.

Serves 4-6. Recipe easily doubled