# Dessert to impress, recipe help



## cas (Mar 23, 2007)

I've recently moved for South Africa to the United Kingdom and I could not bring all my cooking equipment and recipes..
Every week my boyfriend's family gets together and has a dinner, I was asked to do a dessert. I'm great when it comes to winter puddings, but no so good when it comes to summer puddings. 

I got a whole bunch of beautiful strawberries.. and I can't think of something _*simple*_ that will impress.. 

Could anyone help 

thnx 
Cas


----------



## urmaniac13 (Mar 23, 2007)

Strawberry Custard tart would be gorgeous to look at, and especially to taste it!!

Make a shell:
Mix 125g of cold butter, cut into small cubes into 300g of flour.  Rub the butter into flour to make a "bread crumby" texture.  Add 100g of sugar and an egg, knead well to a smooth texture.  Wrap tightly in a plastic wrap, let it rest in a fridge for about 30 minutes.  Then stretch the dough to fit into a large pie shell.  Blind bake it for about 10-15 minutes at 190°C/375°F, until the crust start to take on a golden colour.

Make a custard:
Whisk together 1 hearty spoonful of flour with 500ml of milk.  Add 1 egg and 2 egg yolks, and 100g of sugar.  Beat it with a whisk well, pour into a double boiler and let it cook until the cream thickens. (takes about 20-25 minutes give or take)  If you don't have a double boiler, use a thick bottomed saucepan, and cook over very low heat, *stirring constantly*.  

Pour the custard evenly into the crust, bake at 200°C/400°F for about 10 - 15 minutes, or the crust is completely golden.  Let it cool.

Wash and remove the stems from strawberries. arrange the strawberries over the custard to cover the surface, you can also cut the strawberries in half, if the strawberries are large, or you choose to be more economical with strawberries.  

Prepare the clear jelly coating for cakes/pies according to the direction.  Coat the entire surface inside the crust.

Chill in the fridge until the serving time, you can also serve it with a fresh whipped cream.


----------



## cas (Mar 24, 2007)

mmmmm thats sounds gorgeous 

I came up with an idea which sounded ok to me; 

puff pastry rolled to about 14x4 inch glazed with egg and water, baked till golden.

then mixing same amount of mascapone and cream together with a vanilla pod and a bit of sugar. piping that ontop of cool puff pastry and layering the strawberries ontop. 
Maybe with a glaze on the strawberries. 


... your idea sounds really good 

thanx


----------



## mish (Mar 24, 2007)

cas said:
			
		

> I've recently moved for South Africa to the United Kingdom and I could not bring all my cooking equipment and recipes..
> Every week my boyfriend's family gets together and has a dinner, I was asked to do a dessert. I'm great when it comes to winter puddings, but no so good when it comes to summer puddings.
> 
> I got a whole bunch of beautiful strawberries.. and I can't think of something _*simple*_ that will impress..
> ...


 
Cas, Trifle says simple & impressive, imo. This is one of Emeril's recipes, but you could use any custard or (vanilla?) pudding for the layers, and whipped cream with slivered almonds, if you wish. Another simple option is, using ready-made poundcake, Angel food cake or crumbled brownies

Strawberry Trifle

Or Strawberry Lemon Curd Trifle (with Ameretti cookies)

StrawberryLemonCurdTrifle.html

Another idea - I like the 'look' of this Angel Lush. You could use the strawberries & cream filling of choice here, as well.

Angel Lush Recipe

Yet another simple idea - Individual strawberry shortcakes. If you can find the ready made shortcake shells in the market (they come about 4 to a pkg here), again use cream filling of choice, and everyone has their own individual dessert serving.

I posted a recipe here for Strawberry Cheesecake in a Martini Glass, that calls for ready made cheesecake, but it might be tricky to transport. If you don't see it, let me know.


----------



## cas (Mar 25, 2007)

thanx a lot ... sometimes i just can't think of anything... 
right now im attempting to freeze my strawberries because they are not going to last till tuesday ... i wonder if strawberry and pineapple will taste nice  together ...


----------



## cjs (Mar 25, 2007)

If you still have some fresh berries left, here's an idea that couldn't be simpler, but tastes so good!!

Sprinkle berries with a little sugar,cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours.
to serve - transfer berries to serving bowls; spritz or sprinkle 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar over each and serve.


----------



## Candocook (Mar 25, 2007)

And just to add to CJS's recipe above, use a touch of brown sugar instead of white.


----------



## cjs (Mar 25, 2007)

and to add a little more - freshly ground black pepper over all.


----------

