Recipes: Strawberries

Strawberry Éclairs (pictured above)

Enjoy traditional afternoon tea with a fruity twist

Ingredients
150ml cold water
50g, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
80g strong white plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten

For the filling
225g Rachel's low fat strawberry yogurt
300ml double cream

For the icing
500g icing sugar (we recommend Tate & Lyle fondant icing)
75ml water
Few drops of pink food colouring

Preparation & cooking time
1 hour

Makes
12

Method
Pre-heat oven to 200C/ 392F/ Gas Mark 6

Add the water to the pan together with the butter. Sieve the flour and keep to one side. Allow the butter to melt and when the mixture comes to the boil remove from the heat immediately and add the flour.

Vigorously mix the flour and sugar with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer if preferred. Beat until you have a smooth paste and it has left the sides of the saucepan. Then beat in the eggs one by one until you have a smooth glossy paste.

Line and grease one baking tray with baking parchment. Place the choux pastry into a piping bag with a plain nozzle 1cm/ ½ inch and pipe lengths approximately 6-7cm/3 inches.

Bake the éclairs on a high shelf of the oven for 10 minutes and then increase the temperature of the oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7 for a further 10 minutes until golden and puffed up.

Remove them from the baking tray to a cooling rack and make a small slit in each to let the steam escape.

For the filling, whip together the yogurt and cream until stiff. Using another piping back, pipe the cream & yogurt mixture into the side of each éclair.

To prepare the fondant icing beat together the icing sugar, water and food colouring, and mix until smooth and glossy. Either pipe down each éclair or dip the tops in the icing letting the excess dribble down.

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Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe

Ingredients
5 large eggs
150g caster sugar
A few drops of vanilla extract
150g plain flour, sifted
100ml vegetable oil
200ml whipping cream
100g Rachel's fat free strawberry and rhubarb yogurt
4 tbsp strawberry conserve
150g fresh strawberries, sliced Icing sugar to decorate

Serves 8

Preparation time
15 minutes

Cooking time
35 minutes

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and grease and line two 20cm/8inch round sandwich tins.

Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla using an electric whisk. The mixture should double in volume and leave a trail.

Using a large metal spoon add half the flour and gently fold in. Follow this with half the oil then add the remaining flour and oil.

Pour the batter into each tin evenly. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until golden and springy to touch.

Allow the sponges to cool slightly in the tins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft peaks form and gently fold in the yogurt – try and achieve a ripple effect. Sandwich the cakes by spreading over the strawberry conserve then add the sliced strawberries and spread over the cream and yogurt mixture.

Dust with icing sugar, serve or chill until required.

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Strawberry Eton Mess

Ingredients
200g strawberries, stalks removed and quartered
80g caster sugar or icing sugar
4 meringues, shop brought, crushed
300ml double cream, whipped
200g Rachel's Low Fat Raspberry Bio Live Yogurt

Serves 4-6

Preparation time
10 minutes

Method
In a large bowl take the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, with the back of a fork squash some of the strawberries to release the juices.

Add the crushed meringues, cream and yogurt and gently fold together with a spatula.

Spoon into serving dishes or glasses and serve immediately.

Try: making this extra special by adding a drizzle of your favourite liqueur