Strawberries and cream is one of those combinations so good it barely needs improving. This version does it anyway — the strawberries are macerated with lime and basil, which draws out their juice and sharpens the flavour considerably. The cream is mascarpone-enriched, vanilla-loaded, and whipped to soft peaks. The shortbread crumb is baked from scratch and scattered over the top for texture.
The basil is the detail that makes people ask what's in it. Used sparingly, it lifts the strawberries without announcing itself. It should not taste of basil — it should taste better than strawberries alone without being able to explain why.
Ingredients
- Strawberries
- 250 g Strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 15 g Caster sugar
- 5 g Fresh lime juice
- 4 leaves (8g) Fresh basil, torn
- Vanilla mascarpone cream
- 125 g Mascarpone, around room temperature
- 75 g Double cream
- 20 g Icing sugar
- 1 Vanilla pod, seeds only — or 1 tsp good vanilla paste
- Fine sea salt, pinch
- Almond shortbread crumb
- 50 g Plain flour
- 25 g Ground almonds
- 20 g Caster sugar
- Fine sea salt, pinch
- 40 g Butter, cold, diced
Equipment
- Electric hand whisk or stand mixer
Combine the plain flour, ground almonds, caster sugar, and fine sea salt in a bowl. Add the cold diced butter and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, uneven crumbs — some larger pieces are fine. Spread across a baking tray and bake at 170°C (340°F) fan for 15–20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool completely before using.
Toss the quartered strawberries with the caster sugar, fresh lime juice, and torn fresh basil. Leave to sit for 20–30 minutes at room temperature. The sugar draws the juice from the strawberries and the lime sharpens the flavour — by the time you serve, the bowl should have a generous pool of bright, flavourful syrup at the bottom.
Combine the room temperature mascarpone, double cream, icing sugar, vanilla, and a small pinch of fine sea salt in a bowl. Whip together until the mixture reaches soft peaks — it should hold its shape when spooned but still look billowy and loose rather than stiff. Do not over-whip.
Spoon the macerated strawberries and all their juices into chilled bowls and pick out the fresh basil. Add a generous dollop of the vanilla cream on top. Scatter over the shortbread crumb and serve immediately.
Notes & Substitutions
Serving quantities: A good ratio per portion is approximately 125g macerated strawberries, a generous spoonful of cream, and 25–30g of shortbread crumb scattered over the top.
Vanilla: Seeds from a fresh vanilla pod give the best flavour and the characteristic black specks through the cream. A good quality vanilla paste is an excellent substitute. Vanilla extract works at a push — avoid cheap essence, which tastes artificial.
Make ahead: The shortbread crumb keeps for several days in an airtight container. The cream can be made up to an hour ahead and kept in the fridge. The strawberries are best macerated no more than an hour before serving — beyond that they start to break down and lose their texture.
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Strawberries & Cream with Shortbread Crumb
COOKED
PROPERLY
Ingredients
- 250 g Strawberries (hulled and quartered)
- 15 g Caster sugar
- 5 g Fresh lime juice
- 4 leaves Fresh basil (torn)
- 125 g Mascarpone (around room temperature)
- 75 g Double cream
- 20 g Icing sugar
- 1 Vanilla pod (seeds only — or 1 tsp good vanilla paste)
- Fine sea salt (pinch)
- 50 g Plain flour
- 25 g Ground almonds
- 20 g Caster sugar
- Fine sea salt (pinch)
- 40 g Butter (cold, diced)
Equipment
- Electric hand whisk or stand mixer
Method
Make the shortbread crumb
50 g Plain flour · 25 g Ground almonds · 20 g Caster sugar · Fine sea salt · 40 g Butter
Combine the plain flour, ground almonds, caster sugar, and fine sea salt in a bowl. Add the cold diced butter and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, uneven crumbs — some larger pieces are fine. Spread across a baking tray and bake at 170°C (340°F) fan for 15–20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool completely before using.
The crumb can be made well ahead — it keeps in an airtight container for several days and is better at room temperature than straight from the fridge. Make a larger batch and keep it on hand for other desserts.
Macerate the strawberries
250 g Strawberries · 15 g Caster sugar · 5 g Fresh lime juice · 4 leaves Fresh basil
Toss the quartered strawberries with the caster sugar, fresh lime juice, and torn fresh basil. Leave to sit for 20–30 minutes at room temperature. The sugar draws the juice from the strawberries and the lime sharpens the flavour — by the time you serve, the bowl should have a generous pool of bright, flavourful syrup at the bottom.
Use the best strawberries you can find — British in season, ideally. A good strawberry macerated for 20 minutes is exceptional. A supermarket strawberry from February macerated for an hour is still a disappointing strawberry. The dish cannot compensate for poor fruit.
Make the vanilla mascarpone cream
125 g Mascarpone · 75 g Double cream · 20 g Icing sugar · 1 Vanilla pod · Fine sea salt
Combine the room temperature mascarpone, double cream, icing sugar, vanilla, and a small pinch of fine sea salt in a bowl. Whip together until the mixture reaches soft peaks — it should hold its shape when spooned but still look billowy and loose rather than stiff. Do not over-whip.
Take the mascarpone out of the fridge around 30 minutes before whipping. Cold mascarpone straight from the fridge seizes immediately on contact with the double cream and can turn grainy before it has a chance to incorporate properly. Room temperature mascarpone combines smoothly and gives a far glossier, more even result.
Stop whipping earlier than you think. The cream continues to thicken slightly after mixing stops, and over-whipped mascarpone cream splits and becomes grainy with no recovery. Soft peaks means it just holds its shape when the whisk is lifted — no further.
Assemble and serve
Spoon the macerated strawberries and all their juices into chilled bowls and pick out the fresh basil. Add a generous dollop of the vanilla cream on top. Scatter over the shortbread crumb and serve immediately.
Serve the crumb separately if there’s any chance of a gap between plating and eating — it softens quickly once it hits the strawberry juices. Scatter it at the last moment and it stays crisp through the first few spoonfuls.
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The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
£10-£25
One bowl per ingredient. It sounds simple. It changes everything.
£25-£75
The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
£10-£25
One bowl per ingredient. It sounds simple. It changes everything.
£25-£75
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