With the strawberry season around the corner, try out this easy to make special strawberry recipes at home.
Strawberry Mousse with Vanilla Quenelle
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 110 gm cold butter
- 200 gm refined flour
- 65 gm castor sugar
- 10 ml milk
For the mousse:
- 100 gm whipped cream
- 40 ml strawberry puree
Method:
For crumble:
- Dice the butter and put it in a kitchen aid with the flour, sugar and salt. Use the paddle attachment for mixing, until the mix resembles damp sand. Alternatively, put everything in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips.
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden all over.
For the mousse:
- Beat cream using a kitchen aid for about 2-3 minutes and make sure that when you are done with it, stiff peaks form.
- Add the strawberry puree and vanilla essence in the cream mixture and fold it using a spatula. Keep the mousse is in chiller for resting.
To assemble:
- Use a round cutter and spread the crumble to form a base for the strawberry quenelle.
- With the help of warm water, spoon the quenelle from the strawberry mousse and place on top of the crumble.
- Garnish it with small red heart, silver vark and edible flowers.
Strawberry Tart
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 110 gm cold butter
- 200 gm refined flour
- 65 gm castor sugar
- 10 ml milk
For the filling:
- 150 gm whipped cream
- 140 gm grain sugar
- 500 ml milk
- 50 gm custard powder
- 100 ml strawberry puree
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
- 10 gm pistachio
- 8-10 pieces fresh strawberries
Method:
For the pastry:
- Dice the butter and put it in a kitchen aid with the flour, sugar and salt. Use the paddle attachment and mix until the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Alternatively, put everything in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips. Add some milk for binding.
- Tip the pastry crumbs into a loose-bottomed and shallow tart tin. Spread it out to cover the base and bank them up around the sides. Press the crumbs with the base of a glass, until you have a solid pastry case, working the crumbs up the edges as well, so the whole tin is evenly coated. Pop it into the freezer and chill for 15 minutes, until firm.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C. Take the tin out of the freezer, prick the base all over with a fork, then bake for about 20-25 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden all over.
For the filling:
- Pour the milk into a saucepan. Add the vanilla extract, sugar and bring to the boil.
- Keep little milk aside and make slurry of custard powder. Once the milk is at scalding point remove from heat add in the slurry of custard powder in it.
- Return to the heat and boil continuously, whisking for approximately 3–5 minutes until thickened.
- When the custard has cooled down fold in the whipped cream and strawberry puree for flavor. Set it in fridge.
To assemble:
- Fill the tart with above filling and arrange the fresh cut strawberries on top of it. Apply some pistachio powder on the side of tart.
Strawberry Mille Feuille
Ingredients:
- 150 gm whipped cream
- 140 gm sugar
- 500 ml milk
- 50 gm custard powder
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 75 gm icing sugar
- 500 gm fresh strawberries
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
Method:
For the custard filling:
- Pour the milk into a saucepan and add vanilla extract and sugar. Bring to the boil. Keep a little milk aside and make slurry of custard powder.
- Once the milk is at scalding point, remove from heat, and add in the slurry of custard powder.
- Return to the heat and boil continuously, whisking for approximately 3–5 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool.
- When the custard has cooled down, fold in the whipped cream. Chill in the fridge until needed.
For the pastry:
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 190°C. Lightly dust your work surface with some sifted icing sugar. Once the sheet of puff pastry has defrosted, roll into an even sized rectangle.
- Cut the pastry into 4 strips (12 cm x 6 cm approximately). Prick the pastry lightly all over with a fork and transfer it to a flat baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes until the pastry is nice and crisp. Store until required.
To assemble:
- Lay a piece of the puff pastry on the work surface and pipe some of the custard filling on top.
- Arrange some sliced strawberries and then another piece of pastry on top and repeat it two times. Garnish with cream rosette and fresh strawberries.
Chef Rajesh Yadav is the sous chef at Holiday Inn Mumbai.
