It’s the season for fresh strawberries. Strawberries are filled with phytonutrients that are good for health. They can be used as a dessert topping, in a pudding, in salad dressing and in smoothies and shakes. Add it to your morning cereal, or lunch-time salad. Blend fresh strawberries with yogurt or different fruits to make a refreshing drink. Remember they are perishable, and should not be washed until just before eating or using them in a recipe.
Here are a few recipes for strawberry treats.
Strawberry Cup Cake with Vanilla Ice CreamIngredients
Butter: 100 gm
Castor sugar: 200 mg
Strawberry essence: 1 tsp
Eggs: 2
Flour: 150 gm
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Milk: 85 ml
For the topping
Glazed icing: 2 tbsp
Chocolate: 1 tsp
Accompaniment
Vanilla ice cream: 3 scoops
Method
Preheat the oven to approximately 175 degrees Celsius. In a bowl, beat the butter, castor sugar and strawberry essence till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, until mixed well. Mix together the flour and baking powder. Add the milk and mix with spatula. Then fold in the flour. Fill the mixture into the greased cup cake mould. Bake for 15 minutes or till a skewer, when inserted in the centre of the cup cake, comes out clean. Keep aside for some time. Slice each cup cake in two equal halves, and in between the slices, slather the mixture of cream and strawberry filling. Sandwich the halves, and glaze them with icing. Pipe with chocolate. Serve with some scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Strawberry BurfiIngredients
Besan: 1 cup
Milk: 1 cup
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Sugar: Two-and-a-half cups
Cardamom powder: 1 tsp
Ghee: 1 cup
Strawberry crush: 2 tbsp
Fresh strawberries, chopped: Quarter cup
Dry fruits, chopped: 2 tbsp
Method
Heat ghee in a pan. Fry besan till it turns lightly golden in colour. Add the remaining ingredients, except the crush, cardamom powder and half the quantity of strawberries. Keep stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). Add the cardamom powder and remove it from the stove. Add in strawberry crush and the remaining strawberries. Mix well. Spread it on a greased plate and slice into pieces. Garnish with nuts.
Strawberry and CreamIngredients
Fresh strawberries: 150 gm
Cream: 150 mg
Crushed gems: Half cup
Method
Rinse the strawberries, and remove the tops. Slice each strawberry into half. Layer a few strawberries at the bottom of a glass bowl and spread some cream on top. Repeat till all the strawberries and cream are used up. Garnish with gems. Set in the fridge for at least two hours before serving.
Jelly BerryIngredients
Strawberry jelly: 2 packets
Bananas: 3 medium-sized
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Cream: One-and-a-half cup
Powdered sugar: 2 tbsp
Method
Prepare jelly as per the instructions on the packet (which includes the cream and powdered sugar). Chill in the freezer till it is thick, but not set. Peel and slice bananas. Rub the slices in lemon juice, and mix them in to the semi-set jelly. Rinse a jelly mould with water and spoon the banana jelly into it. Keep in the freezer to set.
