Bake with Michelle Darmody: A glut of strawberries
A few weeks ago I wrote about making ice cream with strawberries. The weather has been so warm this year we have a very large crop of strawberries in Irish fields.
I thought it was worth revisiting them as they are such a delicious ingredient and perfect for baking and desserts. The cold spring followed by a very warm May and June have meant that the berries are large, juicy, and plentiful. It has also meant that the price has dropped as there are so many berries on shop shelves.
Strawberries are best eaten warm, at room temperature, when their perfume and taste are at their sweetest. If you are storing them in the fridge, I recommend allowing a punnet to warm up before eating.
If you decide to use the glut for making strawberry jam, it may be worth adding some extra lemon juice or peptin to help it set. Berries always need a
helping hand when being turned into jam, but when they are sweeter than normal, they may need a little extra help.
Strawberries marry very well with a host of delicate flavours such as rosewater, orange blossom and cardamom. All are used here is different ways.
Carrageen pudding is very similar to a panna cotta but a more authentic Irish version as the carrageen seaweed grows on many Irish shores. The fronds, when soaked in warm water, have natural gelling properties. It is a great substitute for gelatin and is suitable for vegetarians.
Orange blossom and strawberry sponge
110g of soft butter
180g of caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tsp of orange blossom water
the zest of 4 oranges
225g of plain flour
2 tsp of baking powder
125ml of milk
200 mls of cream
1 tsp of icing sugar, sieved
1 tsp of vanilla essence
a large punnet of strawberries, washed and sliced
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line two eight inch round spring form or loose base tins.
Cream the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly and combine them with the butter and sugar. Add in the orange blossom water and orange zest.
Sieve the baking powder and flour together. Add a third of the flour to the batter and then add a third of the milk. Stirring until combined. Continue this until all of the ingredients form a smooth batter.
Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for approximately 25 minutes, until the top is golden or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.
Whip the cream, vanilla and icing sugar. Decorate with strawberries and cream.
Rosewater and strawberry meringue
3 egg whites
50g of icing sugar, sieved
110g of caster sugar
1 tsp of rose water
200 mls of cream
1/2 tbs of icing sugar, sieved
30g of strawberries, mashed
edible rose petals
To make the meringues, preheat the oven to 120 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment
Clean the bowl and whisk that you will be making the meringue in, with vinegar. This will ensure there is no fat on the bowl or utensils which will hamper the meringue rising.
Whisk the eggs and both sugars together until stiff peaks form. Add in the rose water and a tiny drop of red food colouring if you wish. This is entirely optional. I use a natural colouring made from beetroot powder.
Pipe 20 swirls of meringue with a star nozzle and bake for two hours until they have hardened. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Whip the cream and sugar until stiff peaks; fold in the mashed strawberries. Serve this with the meringues and sprinkle the rose petals on top.
Cardamom carrageen pudding with strawberries
5g of carrageen moss, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
1 tsp of cardamom, ground
1 tsp of vanilla essence
880mls of milk
1 egg, separated
15g of golden caster sugar
300g of strawberries, diced
1 tsp of golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp of cracked black sugar
30g of hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Strain the moss and add it, along with the cardamom and vanilla to the milk. Allow to gently simmer with the lid on for twenty minutes.
Separate the egg and whisk the sugar into the yolk.
Whisk the egg white until light and fluffy.
Clean the bowl and whisk you will be using with vinegar. This will ensure there is no fat on the bowl or utensils which will hamper the egg becoming light and fluffy.
Strain the warm milk into a jug, rubbing all the jelly from the moss as you do so. Add this milk mixture to the egg yolk whisking all of the time. Fold in the egg white.
Pour the mixture into four jars or glass bowls and allow to cool completely in the fridge.
Stir the diced strawberries with the sugar and black pepper.
Sprinkle this over the puddings as well as some toasted nuts just before
serving.
