Strawberries With Elderflower Cream Food

STRAWBERRY & ELDERFLOWER GATEAU

Steps:

• Remove the base of a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin (make sure it's a deep one) and use it as a template to cut out a circle from each flan case. Chop the offcuts from the flans into small pieces and set aside. Reassemble the tin and line it with a couple of sheets of cling film, leaving enough overhanging to wrap up once the tin is filled.
• Put one flan disc in the base of the tin and spread over half the jam. Arrange the strawberries around the outside with the cut surface facing outwards. If you have any particularly large or small strawberries, put them to one side.
• Whip the cream, 2 tbsp icing sugar and 3 tbsp elderflower cordial together in a bowl until the mixture holds its shape. Chop the reserved strawberries, then fold them into the cream mixture. Use half of the cream to fill the centre of the gateau, spreading right to the edges so it holds the strawberries in place.
• Push a single layer of the chopped flan offcuts into the cream (you may have some leftovers to nibble on), and drizzle over the remaining elderflower cordial. Stir the remaining jam through the rest of the cream, spread it over the flan pieces, and top with the final piece of flan. Fold over the cling film and give the gateau a gentle press down to compact the layers. Chill while you make the icing. Can be chilled for up to 24 hrs.
• Crush the raspberries with the back of a fork and stir in the 150g icing sugar to make a thick icing. Add a splash of water if it's too thick. Alternatively, add enough water to the icing sugar to make a thick icing, then stir in a few drops of pink food colouring.
• When you're ready to serve, remove the cake from the tin and discard the cling film, then transfer to a cake stand. Spread the icing right to the edges, then scatter the pistachios in a ring around the top, if using, and serve with a little strawberry coulis or cream on the side, if you like.

STRAWBERRY-BLACKBERRY SUMMER TRIFLE

Steps:

• Reserve a handful of the prettiest whole strawberries and blackberries for topping the trifle.
• Hull and halve the remaining strawberries, and toss them with the sugar in a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until they get juicy, about 1 hour. (If you're in a hurry, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water for about 5 minutes to speed this up.)
• Whip the cream in a chilled bowl until it holds soft peaks. Fold the elderflower syrup into the cream and keep chilled until ready to assemble the trifle.
• Tear or cut the angel food cake into 2-inch pieces. Scatter about half the cake on the bottom of a trifle dish or clear glass bowl. Ladle half of the berries and their juices on top of the cake, and then top with half the whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining cake, berries and cream to finish the trifle. Garnish the top of the trifle with the reserved whole berries and refrigerate for 2 and up to 24 hours. Serve chilled.

STRAWBERRIES WITH ELDERFLOWER CREAM

Steps:

• Combine cream, liqueur, lemon zest, and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks just form. Serve with strawberries and macarons.

STRAWBERRY & ELDERFLOWER COBBLER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the strawberries in an oval, roughly 25cm, ovenproof dish with the vanilla, lemon, sugar and cordial. Roast in the oven for 10 mins, or until the strawberries are jammy but holding their shape. Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Mix a little of the strawberry juices into the cornflour, then add the cornflour mixture to the strawberries, combining well.
• For the cobbler topping, toss the flour with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips, then swiftly stir in 80ml buttermilk. If it looks dry, stir in the remaining 20ml. Spoon the cobbler mix over the strawberry base (about eight large spoonfuls), sprinkle over the demerara sugar and bake for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is lightly golden brown. Leave to rest for 10 mins, then serve with clotted cream or ice cream.Twist itSummer berries: Use a mixture of summer berries and up the sugar to 60g. Frozen summer berries work well - just leave out the cooking time for the fruit in step 1, toss the berries with the vanilla, lemon, sugar and cordial, then follow the method from step 2.Peach melba: Slice 3 ripe peaches and toss them with 400g raspberries in step 1 for a peach melba twist. Remove the elderflower cordial if doing this twist, and top the cobbler with flaked almonds before baking.Gooseberries: Simply use the same quantity of gooseberries and cordial, but increase the amount of sugar to 80g.