aWimbledon. The name conjures up images of lush courts, the crisp smacking of tennis balls and the classy hum of the crowd. But beyond the baseline rallies and nail-biting tiebreaks, there’s a tradition as essential as the sport itself: strawberries and cream. This delightful combination is as British as the tournament itself, with a storied history that stretches back to Wimbledon’s original inception in 1877.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club hosts a newly inaugurated tournament. Ripe, ruby-red strawberries from the fields of Kent herald the arrival of the season with their sweet aroma. Served with rich, velvety cream, strawberries have quickly become a food favorite. Every year, as June gives way to July, the tournament unfolds as a spectacular culinary spectacle. Tennis enthusiasts consume more than 28,000 kilograms of strawberries and 7,000 liters of cream, providing a sweet contrast to the tense, high-stakes drama unfolding on the grass.
But as with all things timeless, there’s room for innovation.
This is evident in strawberry-based recipes that take traditional strawberries and cream to new culinary heights, such as this quick Grilled Strawberry and Lemon Pudding, which combines the tartness of lemon with the sweetness of strawberries, layered on sponge fingers and caramelized on the grill to provide a warm and tempting dessert that is both sophisticated and comforting.
Strawberry Marshmallow Cheesecake combines the creamy richness of cheesecake with the light and fluffy texture of marshmallow. Topped with roasted almonds and a hint of vanilla, this dessert is a taste of summer in every bite. For a twist on the classic, try the Strawberry Shortcake, a delicious combination of scones, pistachios and limoncello-flavored strawberries. A refreshing and elegant treat.
Quick bake strawberry and lemon pudding
Serve: Four
material:
12 sponge fingers
1 lemon
400g strawberries
1 can of condensed milk (397g)
150g natural yogurt
1 handful of demerara sugar
1 handful of flaked almonds (toasted)
2 sprigs of fresh mint
Method:
1. Preheat grill over medium-high heat.
2. Take a shallow baking dish and arrange the sponge fingers in a single layer in the bottom. Grate the lemon zest and squeeze the lemon juice over the sponge fingers.
3. Remove the stems from the strawberries, cut them into quarters, mash some with the back of a fork and scatter half of them over the sponge fingers.
4. Whisk the condensed milk and yogurt together and pour into serving bowls. Layer on top of strawberries and sprinkle generously with Demerara sugar to finish.
5. Place the dish under the hot grill and leave for about 4-5 minutes to allow the tops to warm and caramelize. Remove and garnish with toasted almond flakes and a few freshly picked mint leaves.
6. Serve immediately and share with family and friends.
Strawberry Marshmallow Cheesecake
Serve: Four
material:
For bass:
200g shortbread
Digestive Biscuits 100g
80g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
For the almond crumble:
50g almonds (peeled and roasted)
Digestive Biscuits 50g
50g soft light brown sugar
25g flour
60g unsalted butter (chilled)
For the cheesecake mix:
100g strawberries
150ml double cream
500g white chocolate
50g unsalted butter
500g cream cheese
For the meringue:
4 large egg whites
300g granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
Method:
1. Crush the shortbread and digestive biscuits and melt the butter. Combine the two in a large mixing bowl until the texture resembles wet sand. Press the mixture into the base of four 9x9cm deep rings, smoothing them out. Place in the fridge to set.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Finely crush the almonds and digestives and mix with the sugar and flour. Add the chilled butter and using your fingertips fold into the biscuit mix. Spread evenly on a baking tray and freeze for 10 minutes.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Once golden brown and crisp, allow the dough to cool completely. Spread the jam over the cooled dough and spoon the streusel-nut mix into each ring, pressing lightly to form a layer, but do not compress it completely like the biscuit layer.
4. Melt the chocolate, butter and vanilla in a bowl in the microwave.
5. Remove stems from strawberries and process half in a mini food processor on high speed (or mash with a fork). Combine strawberries, cream, sugar and cream cheese and blend until smooth. Fold chocolate mixture into cream mix. Chop remaining strawberries into small cubes and fold into cheesecake mix. Pour mix into ring and over almond crumbs. Immediately lift ring (cheesecake mix should be firm enough to hold and warm enough to slide out nicely). If making ahead, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. Place the egg whites and granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl and whisk over a saucepan of boiling water (be careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Whisk until the egg whites are warm, the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Remove the eggs from the heat and beat with a stand mixer or electric whisk until the meringue has cooled and holds its shape.
7. Place the ring mould on top of the chilled cheesecake mix and pipe the meringue into the ring. Carefully lift the ring out to create a nice layer of meringue with little ridges all around when you remove the ring.
8. If necessary, use a palette knife to smooth the top of the meringue. Toast the meringue over a burner until browned all over. Serve one cheesecake per person.
Strawberry Shortcake
Serve: Four
material:
For scones:
75g chilled salted butter, cubed
350g flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
75g pistachios (coarsely chopped)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 large egg
150ml whole milk
25ml whole milk for glazing
For stuffing:
200g strawberries
25g pistachios (coarsely chopped)
25g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
25ml Limoncello
250ml double cream
25g granulated sugar
2 tablespoons pistachio nuts
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line two baking trays (in two batches) with greaseproof paper.
2. Using your fingertips, rub the chilled butter into the flour and mix until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Mix the sugar, nuts and lemon zest together. Crack the eggs, pour in 150ml of milk and mix together to form a dough.
4. Press the dough onto a floured surface to a depth of about 2cm and use a cutter to cut out a 10cm circle.
5. Transfer the raw scones to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and crush the remaining dough into another loaf, extrude it and cut it again – don’t waste it. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk and bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are puffed, golden brown and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
6. Cool on a wire rack then cut in half down the middle to create the base and lid.
7. Dice the strawberries and place in a mixing bowl with the chopped pistachios and sugar. Pour in the vanilla extract and liqueur and leave to steep for 10 minutes.
8. Transfer the strawberry liquid to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce until syrup-like and allow to cool.
9. Add sugar to the cream and beat until soft peaks form.
10. Spread a generous amount of double cream onto the base and inside of the lid.
11. Place the strawberries on top of the cream at the bottom. Cover and sandwich, pour the reduced syrup over them, and sprinkle with a pinch of pistachio.
Recipe provided by Thought Food
