Strawberry and Peach Crumble

This is a recipe that hits close to home. As a child I used to eat many a crumble for pudding. Apple, Rhubarb, Gooseberries, Peach or Strawberries. Anything goes and it is so much fun to make the crumble with those little hands.

Ingredients:
Filling:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound medium strawberries, halved
1 1/2 pounds yellow or white peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Crumble:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter in 1/2-inch cubes

Preparations:
1.)  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.
For the filling:
2.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and all-purpose flour until smooth.
3.) Add the strawberries, peaches and brown sugar. Gently toss until the fruit is coated.
4.) Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared pan.
For the crumble:
5.) In a bowl combine the flour, oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt.
6.) Add the softened butter and mix by hand until texture becomes crumbly.
7.) Sprinkle the mixture over the filling and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is light golden.
8.) Cool the crumble for 5 minutes.

Spoon the warm crumble into bowls and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Fruit fools

You can make fruit fools with any fruit soft enough to mash with a fork. Here you can see how to make strawberry or banana fool. The amount of fruit shown for either sort will make 4 small fools.

Ingredients:
220 gr strawberries
2 small bananas
25 gr caster sugar
1/4 litre yoghurt or double cream
wedge of lemon

For decoration:
chocolate drops, glacé cherries, sliced kiwi, biscuits

Preparation:
1.) Cut the strawberries in half or peel and slice the bananas.
2.) Put the fruit in the bowl and mash it with a fork until it is smooth.
3.) Whisk the yoghurt or cream until it is thick and creamy.
4.) Add this and the sugar to the mashed fruit. Stir them well.
5.) Pour the fruit mixture into the serving dishes or glasses. Decorate them however you like making suns, flowers or animal faces!

Pavlova

It’s the new trend of the Parisiennes. The pavlova, an airy dessert by excellence « meringue + whipped cream + red fruit» pays homage to the famous Russian dancer. An ultra-light and delicate dessert, naturally!

Ingredients:
For the meringue:
2 egg whites
110 gr of powdered sugar
1 dash of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of corn starch
For the chantilly:
25 cl of liquid fleurette cream
2 tablespoons of mascarpone
2 tablespoons of glazed sugar
For the decor:
200 gr of red fruit (raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries…)
10 cl of raspberry topping

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180° C.

1.) In a salad bowl, beat the egg whites into snow peaks and the powdered sugar.
2.) Incorporate the lemon juice and the starch, mix delicately.
3.) On a plaque covered with waxed cooking paper, form 4 meringue circles. Using the back of a spoon dipped in water, create a slight dos hollow at the centre of the meringues.
4.) Lower the thermostat to 120 °C. Bake for 1 hour, turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and allow the meringue to dry for at least 2 hours.
5.) In a stainless steel bowl, beat the cold cream into a firm chantilly, incorporate the glazed sugar and the mascarpone, very delicately.
6.) Divide the chantilly on the pavlovas. Decorate them with fresh fruit and eventually add a topping.

Birchermüesli

Birchermüesli is as Swiss as it gets. It can be eaten for breakfast, brunch or light dinner. It is a healthy alternative to cereals and the kids love it.

Ingredients: 
200 g Birchermüesli flake mix with no added sugar
4.5 dl milk
1-2 apples
other fruit, e.g. berries, grapes, bananas, kiwi etc., according to taste/season
1 red fruit yoghurt
some orange juice or mixed fruit juice
0.25 dl cream (or more )

Preparation:
1.) Mix the Birchermüesli flake mix with the milk.
2.) Grate the apples or cut them into small pieces. Add them to the Birchermüesli.
3.) Finely chop your other fruit, add it to the Birchermüesli and mix well.
4.) Add the yoghurt.
5.) Stir in some orange/mixed fruit juice to make it more refreshing.
6.) Add the cream.
7.) Optional: before serving whip some cream and decorate onto the Birchermüesli for nicer presentation.

Note: The consistency should be more “liquid” than solid. To adjust the taste if the consistency is too thick, add additional orange juice and/or milk.

French Strawberry hearts

T'is the strawberry season. We have spent the last two months eating strawberries with cream and sugar. I therefore decided to come up with a new twist to our habitual pudding:

Ingredients: 
500gr Gariguette strawberries from France

Sweet dough :
220 gr flour
120 gr glazed sugar
90 g butter
1 good pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of chemical yeast
1 small egg

Cream :
50 gr butter
50 gr sugar
1 egg
50 gr ground almonds
1 tablespoon of flour
70 gr  cheese spread
1 untreated green lemon

Preparation:
1.) Make the sourdough by mixing the flour, the glazed sugar, the butter, salt and yeast until you obtain a fine sandy texture. Be careful not to overheat the butter.
2.) Add the egg
3.) Roll the dough in a ball and set aside for 1 hour minimum.
4.) Flatten the dough on a paper cooking sheet and spread it into a buttered heart shaped mold. Cut off the extra around the mold.
5.) Make it all slide on a cooking grid and precook the pie crust for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C.
6.) Prepare the cream by mixing the butter and sugar.
7.) Add the egg. Mix well.
8.) Add the ground almonds and the flour
9.) Finally mix in cheese spread and the zest of grated green lemon.
10.) Pour this cream on the precooked sour dough and bake for 10 minutes at 200°C.
Let the pie cool down.
11.) Remove the strawberry stems, cut them in half and lay on the pie in heart-shaped formation.

Strawberry Mango Salad

You know spring is around the corner when you start to spot stawberries at the market. For a super healthy and delicious spring recipe why not try a Strawberry-Mango-Spinach salad:

Ingredients:
2 tbsp pine nuts
30oz baby spinach leaves
(1 oz)peeled and diced red onion
1 small ripe mango, peeled and chopped
5 strawberries, skinned and diced
2 tbsp dried cranberries

Dressing:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar

Preparation:
1.) Heat a dry frying pan and add the pine nuts.
2.) Toast them for around two minutes, stirring continuously until golden. Watch out that they don't burn.
3.) Combine the baby spinach leaves, red onion, mango, strawberries, and dried cranberries in a bowl.
4.) In another bowl, combine three tablespoons of vegetable oil, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and a tablespoon of caster sugar.
5.) Add seasoning to taste.
6.) Whisk vigorously until the dressing is blended.
7.) Toss the salad with the dressing.
8.) To finish, sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the top for some added nutrition.