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.
-
25 design books that will transform your ideas, as recommended by Britain's best designers and designersGiles Kime spoke to some of the best designers and gardeners to get their recommendations on the books that constantly prove a source of inspiration in their work.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: Is there even any point in setting an out of office, these days?Setting an out of office email only to reply anyway is a vicious cycle, writes our columnist.
-
Tom Parker Bowles: This 90-year-old Italian restaurateur makes the world's best sorbet and granitaDescended from the thirst-slakers that cooled Arabian nights, sorbets are a beguiling way to embrace the colours and flavours of the season.
-
Brat behaviour: The chef behind Shoreditch institution Brat and Soho favourite Mountain is running away to WalesDisclaimer: For one weekend only.
-
How to make The Connaught Bar's legendary martini — and a few othersIt's the weekend which means it's time to kick back and make yourself an ice cold martini — courtesy of The Connaught Bar.
-
Gill Meller's tomato, egg, bread and herb big-hearted summer saladThis summer salad is for people who enjoy proper seasonal produce.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: Why clinking glasses and saying ‘Cheers!’ is a tiny bit embarrassingSophia Money-Coutts is the new Debrett's and she's here every Wednesday to set some modern etiquette wrongs, right.
-
What do an order of Catholic priests and actor Hugh Bonneville have in common? They helped this West Sussex sparkling wine triumph over multiple French Champagne housesAfter being approached by a group of Catholic priests in 2006 to plant a vineyard, the power of the divine, and climate change, was on the winemaker Dermot Sugrue’s side.
-
11 golden rules for making a perfect cup of teaWe drink tea every day, but are we doing it correctly? Who decided on the rules and do they really matter? Jonathon Jones reveals all.
-
The era of the £50 burger and chips is here — and it's a revelationThe second coming of the high-low restaurant — where chefs pair martinis with burgers — is here. Will Hosie tells more.
