Strawberry is cultivated across the world and is known for its distinguished aroma, taste, colour and flavour. The fruit is thought to be originated from France in the 18th century.
Basically an accessory fruit, meaning that it has more eye appeal, it is closely associated with Valentine’s Day when the consumption increases many fold. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids.
In addition to being consumed fresh, strawberries can be used in prepared foods, such as cereal bars, in a variety of desserts like strawberry mousse, cream and gateaux. It is also popular in the dairy industry where every manufacturer tries to make many variants of their products like yoghurt, Froyo, ice cream, milk shakes, flavoured milk, custards, jelly yoghurt and many more. This recipe is very simple and popular. You can try and make this for your loved one and delight him/her with your cooking skills.
Strawberry mascarpone
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
Strawberry 500g
Sugar 1/3 cup
Egg yolks 6no
Heavy cream 400ml
Mascarpone cheese 100g
For garnish
Chocolate, fresh strawberries
Method
Wash and hull three fourth of the strawberries and mash well.
Cream mascarpone cheese and keep aside.
Beat egg yolks in a bowl of double boiler until thick and light coloured.
Add sugar and continue till combined, remove from double boiler and allow to cool.
Beat cream separately until it forms stiff peak and add combine with mascarpone and fold into yolk mixture.
Fold in mashed berries and pour into desired mousse mould to set.
Freeze for three hours or until completely set.
Remove from freezer and demould on a plate.
Garnish with fresh strawberries and chocolate accordingly and serve chilled.
The French classic
The tarte Tatin is an upside-down tart in which the apples are caramelised in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. It is one of the French classical desserts which is thought to be originated from a hotel named Tatin.
This hotel was run by two sisters and while making apple pie one day they accidently left the apples cooking in butter and sugar for long time and to cover up their overcooked apple mixture they decided to cover it up with dough and bake it.
And when the dish came out from the oven and the apples looked delicious they served it upside down which was highly appreciated by their guests and then onwards this dish became their signature dish and is now popular across the globe.
When choosing apples for a tarte Tatin, it is important to pick some that will hold their shape while cooking, and not melt into apple sauce. It’s best to use Golden Delicious, Granny Smith apples to make Tatin.
However, other variants can also be made with banana, pears, peaches, apricot, pineapple, or other fruits. In terms of dough, the tarte Tatin can be made with both puff pastry and short crust pastry.
Apple tarte Tatin
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
Puff pastry 500g
Cooking apples 5 no
Castor sugar 1 cup
Vanilla pod 1 no
Butter 50g
Cinnamon powder a pinch
Ice cream 4-5 scoops
For sugar syrup
Sugar 2 cup
Water 3 cup
For effect
Pistachio to garnish
Almonds to garnish
Method
Make a light sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water and keep aside.
Peel the apples and core them, cut into 8 equal wedges.
Return the prepared sugar syrup on flame with apples, butter and cinnamon powder and simmer it for 20 minutes.
In a heavy bottom pan caramelise the sugar and pour carefully into the required tart mould.
Once the apples are soft carefully strain from sugar syrup.
Arrange the apple wedges in the tart mould to make an even layer.
Flatten the puff pastry to ½cm thick and layer the tart mould and pressing the corners of the dough.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes at 190 degree C.
The puff pastry should have a nice crisp top, remove from oven and allow to cool down for 5 minutes.
Demould and garnish with roasted pistachio and almonds and serve along a scoop of ice cream of choice.
Note: While cooking the apples they should not be too soft or brittle and should be little firm.
