Super strawberry recipes you'll love this summer
Berry heaven
Strawberries are at their best in summer, and there are so many ways to use up a punnet or two. Looking for inspiration? Give these tasty ideas for fruity bakes, stunning cakes, easy tarts and refreshing drinks a go. There are even a few savoury dishes to try too! Top tip: sample a few different strawberry varieties, and you may find some new favourites – and remember that whichever berries you choose, they always taste best when served at room temperature.
Strawberry shortcake
This American classic is always a summer favourite. The light-as-air sponge should be eaten warm, straight from the oven, and it comes filled with crushed and sliced strawberries and whipped cream. It's best to eat strawberry shortcakes on the day they're made, but if you need to, you can make them in advance; they can be stored in the fridge for up to two hours before baking. Planning on making and baking them straight away? They'll only take 30 minutes!
Chocolate cake with strawberries and cream
This stunning cake certainly has the wow factor, but it's really quite straightforward to make and assemble. The rich chocolate sponge is sandwiched with whipped cream and tasty strawberries, covered in a chocolate ganache icing, then topped with more berries. When making the icing, be sure to heat the cream and chocolate gently, or the chocolate could stiffen.
Get the recipe for chocolate cake with strawberries and cream here
Strawberry and raspberry crumble
This British dessert is perfect for a warm summer's day. The fresh berries are covered with ground almonds to give a soft, chewy layer, then covered with a tasty crumble topping made up of sugar, butter, flour and flaked almonds. The crumble is best served warm with a spoonful of clotted or whipped cream.
Baked ricotta and strawberry cheesecake
Indulge in a sweet treat that's not so heavy on the calories, with this fresh and light cheesecake recipe. The ricotta and cream cheese mixture, with a lovely hint of lemon, is slowly baked on a homemade almond biscuit base. Once ready, it's served with a strawberry purée and fresh strawberries, and laced with honey and lemon.
Get the recipe for baked ricotta and strawberry cheesecake here
Camping strawberry cake
Cosy up around the campfire and wow your friends and family with this fruity cake, studded with pieces of fresh strawberry. It's light, tasty, and perhaps best of all, it can be whipped up in just 30 minutes. Please note: you'll need a lidded cast iron pot for this recipe, which must be cooked over a fire.
Strawberry pavlova cake
This is a real show-stopper of a cake. Here, five layers of meringue are coated in dark chocolate, sandwiched together with honeyed yogurt and slices of fresh strawberries, then topped with chocolate-dipped whole strawberries. Top tip: when making the meringue, the egg whites must be at room temperature. Once you've whisked them to stiff peaks, add your sugar gradually (one tablespoon at a time). Count to 10 between each spoonful to make sure you're going slowly enough!
Victoria sponge
A traditional British cake we all know and love – but with a fun twist. Instead of raspberry jam and whipped cream, this cake is filled with buttercream, strawberry jam and fresh strawberry slices. The recipe is easy to follow, so even if you've never attempted a Victoria sponge before, you can still give this one a go.
Strawberry Scotch pancakes
Lightly cooked in cinnamon butter and scattered with berries, these Scotch pancakes make a tasty summertime breakfast or brunch. If you want something a little more indulgent, you can serve them with a dollop of mascarpone cheese, as well as the strawberries – plus a drizzle of the remaining cinnamon butter. Delicious!
Strawberry and lavender panna cotta
This creamy dessert is lightly set with gelatine, so it still has a pleasing wobble to it! The cream is mixed with puréed strawberries and infused with dried lavender, then poured over chopped strawberries flavoured with lemon juice and black pepper – which brings out the sweetness of the berries. There's also a recipe for olive oil shortbread to serve them with.
Strawberry and buttermilk ice cream
You don't need an ice cream maker for this strawberry sensation – and there's also no cooking involved or any custard to create, so it's really simple to make. The sliced strawberries are left to sit in sugar and vanilla until they soften and exude some juice. Then, whizz them up in a blender, sieve to get rid of the pips, and mix with buttermilk, sour cream and sea salt before freezing. Serve with extra strawberries on the side for an extra pop of colour.
Strawberry power smoothie
Why not kickstart your day with a fruity, high-protein smoothie that's rich with added fibre? In this easy recipe, strawberries are blended with banana, oats, thick Greek yogurt and milk. You could even add almonds, or use coconut yogurt and oat milk for a vegan version.
Strawberry crumble
This recipe is a little different from a traditional crumble; here, the crumble is actually cooked separately and made into individual discs, which top the strawberries. Leave the berries to soften in sugar first, make a light caramel, then toss in the strawberries, lemon juice and kirsch (optional). The warm berries are served with the crumble discs, and would be perfect with a scoop of ice cream on the side.
Strawberry cooler
To make this sweet and refreshing strawberry cooler mocktail, fresh strawberries are puréed with ice and mixed with lemonade. If you make your own lemonade, the flavour will be even more intense – but even shop-bought lemonade will taste great with sprigs of fresh mint and slices of lemon added. Serve it in a cocktail glass, with strawberry halves on the rim.
Strawberry creams with granola
Rich, creamy and bursting with strawberry flavour, these little desserts taste as good as they look. There's a vanilla custard to make, as well as a strawberry compote, which involves lightly cooking strawberries in sugar until they begin to collapse, intensifying their flavour. Layer them up with whipped cream, then top with strawberry granola for a tasty crunch.
Raw strawberry tarts
This no-cook vegan recipe really won't disappoint. The pastry cases are made by whizzing up dates, almonds, cashews and coconut oil, and pressing them into fluted tartlet cases. The cream is made from soaked cashew nuts, coconut oil, agave syrup and vanilla. Top the tarts with sliced strawberries, and finish with a strawberry syrup. The whole recipe is done and dusted in just 30 minutes.
Eton mess
Eton mess is an English dessert that simply screams summer. There's a lovely squidgy meringue to make, which is broken up and mixed with whipped cream and fresh strawberries – so, you have the sweetness of the fruit and the crunch of the meringue, all held together with cream. The recipe also uses raspberries, but strawberries on their own are much more traditional.
Strawberry and caramel pancakes
These are French crêpe pancakes – fine, lacy and light. They're made with flour, eggs and milk, and if you mix them all together with an electric hand whisk, your batter will be lump-free. The strawberries are mixed with caramel sauce (from a jar) and thick Greek yogurt for a gloriously sticky filling. For a perfect finish, top your pancakes with toasted nuts (flaked almonds or hazelnuts would work really well).
Strawberry and apple cake
Topped with whole strawberries and glazed with strawberry jam, this moist apple and strawberry cake is a real crowd-pleaser. The sponge itself is very simple to prepare; the cake batter can be quickly made in a food processor. First, grated cooking apple is mixed with lemon zest and juice. Simply fold in the grated apple mixture and halved strawberries before adding the liquid to the batter, so the fruit doesn't sink. Once baked, allow the cake to cool before adding the topping.
Strawberry granita
You won't need an ice cream maker to make this Italian shaved ice dessert. The recipe uses strawberry conserve, with a splash of vodka, orange juice and lemon. If you want to make it with fresh strawberries, just purée 500g (1lb 2oz) fruit, 175g (6oz) caster sugar, 600ml (20fl oz/1 pint) water and 3 tbsp lemon juice. Pass through a sieve to remove the pips, then follow the recipe instructions on how to freeze.
Strawberry nectar
Think of this as strawberry liqueur, without the alcohol. Here, strawberries, sugar, chilli and dried hibiscus flowers are cooked over a pan of simmering water until soft and broken up, before slowly being strained into a bowl through a muslin cloth or fine sieve. Store the nectar in the fridge, then serve on its own in shot glasses – or add a little to a Champagne flute and top up with sparkling wine. You could even add a splash to a jug of Pimm's.
Strawberry rocky road
This easy 15-minute treat proves that strawberries and dark chocolate are a match made in heaven. Melted chocolate, syrup and butter are mixed together, then combined with strawberries, chunks of apple, dried sour cherries and chopped almonds (if you prefer, you can substitute cranberries for the cherries, and pecans for the almonds). Allow the mixture to set, then cut it into squares to serve.
Strawberry and vanilla cream sablé
A sablé is a small, buttery French biscuit that's often served with ice cream and sorbet. In this recipe, the sablés are filled with whipped vanilla cream and fresh strawberries, and served with a strawberry sauce. There are a few steps involved, but you can make everything ahead of time, so you'll just need to do an assembly job on the day you want to serve them. If you have a French pâtisserie nearby, you can also buy the sablé biscuits to save yourself time.
Giant pavlova
Pavlova is a dessert that always goes down a treat. The meringue needs to be eaten on the day it's made, but you can prepare it in the morning and leave it in a cold oven until you're ready to serve it. Our giant pavlova easily serves eight, and comes topped with seasonal berries and a salted caramel sauce. The saltiness of the caramel contrasts perfectly with the sweet meringue.
Strawberry and avocado salad
Strawberries and avocados are a surprisingly well-matched pair – and this summery salad takes the combination to new heights, with a sharp and sweet dressing made from cider vinegar, lemon and honey. It's best served with rocket leaves, but you can use watercress or baby spinach if you prefer. Plus, it's even better if you add some crumbled feta cheese, as the saltiness works perfectly with the sweet strawberries and creamy avocado.
Strawberry and ham salad
Slices of cured ham like Parma Ham or serrano ham have a natural saltiness, which works well alongside strawberries. If you like, you can make this salad your own – just remember to mix sweet, salty and sharp (salad onions or sliced red onions work well as additions). In our recipe, the spinach is lightly sautéd, making the salad warm, and there's a tasty dressing made with raspberry vinegar.
Strawberry, jalapeño and avocado salsa
Instead of mango, try adding strawberries to your salsa for sweetness. Combined with avocado, jalapeño chillies, red onions, lime and fresh coriander, they give a real burst of flavour. Give our tacos recipe a go, and pair the salsa with spiced, garlic-tossed prawns, smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, dried oregano and turmeric. Serve it all up with a squeeze of fresh lime and some soft corn tacos.
Get the recipe for strawberry, jalapeño and avocado salsa here
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature