As strawberries hit peak season, it's tempting to just pop open the punnet and dive in as soon as you get them. They're irresistible.
But as good as they are just as nature intended, they're ripe (pun fully intended) for deployment in all sorts of other ways. Drizzle them with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar, for example, and they're a wonderful accompaniment to fresh toasted sourdough with ricotta, pine nuts and a little extra virgin olive oil.
For something even fancier, though, this recipe for Eton mess blondies is hard to beat.
Ingredients
For the blondies
- 150g fresh strawberries
- 1tbspn cornflour 200g unsalted butter, melted
- 150g caster sugar
- 150g light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1tspn vanilla extract
- 275g plain flour
- ½tspn baking powder
- 200g white-chocolate chips
For the meringue topping
- 2 egg whites
- ½ tspn lemon juice
- 100g caster sugar
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 140˚C fan/160˚C/320˚F/gas mark 3 and line a 20cm (8in) square brownie tin with parchment paper.
2. Remove the stalks from the strawberries and chop them into small pieces. Toss them with the cornflour to soak up the excess moisture and set aside.
3. Whisk together the melted butter, caster sugar and light brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, again beating until smooth, then gently fold through the flour and baking powder until just combined. Gently stir in the white chocolate chips and chopped strawberries, then spread the batter into the prepared tin.
4. For the meringue, whisk the egg whites with lemon juice until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, whisking until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks. Carefully spread it over the blondie batter in an even layer.
5. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the meringue is crisp and lightly golden and the blondies are set, but still slightly wobbly. Allow to cool completely in the tin before slicing. Serve with extra strawberries on the side and a dollop of whipped cream.
