Recipes: Strawberries in season

Strawberry and vanilla buttermilk ice cream sandwiches

Tangy, smooth ice cream, rippled with fragrant strawberry compote and sandwiched between crisp, buttery shortbread makes this pudding a real crowd-pleaser. Opt for store-bought biscuits if you're short of time.

Vegetarian
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus chilling, infusing, churning and freezing
Cooking time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, plus chilling, infusing, churning and freezing
Makes: 6 sandwiches



Ingredients
STRAWBERRY COMPOTE
400g strawberries, hulled and quartered
80g golden caster sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out

BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM
300ml double cream
80g golden caster sugar
½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
284ml pot buttermilk, chilled

SHORTBREAD
120g unsalted butter, softened
55g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
15g cornflour
160g white spelt flour, sifted, plus extra for rolling

Method
1. Start with the compote so that it has time to cool. Put the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan and set over a medium heat. Stir until the berries turn juicy and the sugar dissolves. Simmer, uncovered, for about 8-10 minutes, until there is lots of liquid and the strawberries look jammy; set aside to cool, then cover and chill until needed (you can make this up to 3 days in advance).

2. Meanwhile, make the ice cream. Put the cream, sugar and vanilla pod and seeds in a separate pan and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat, leave to infuse for 20 minutes, then remove the vanilla pod. Stir in the buttermilk, then churn in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Once the ice cream has thickened and when the blade begins to slow down, add ½ the ice cream to a shallow, freezeproof container. Remove and discard the vanilla pod from the compote, then ripple ⅓ through the ice cream. Spoon the rest of the ice cream on top and swirl in another ⅓of the compote. Freeze for at least 3 hours, until solid. Chill the remaining compote.

4. For the biscuits, preheat the oven to 160˚C, gas mark 3. Using electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar together until soft and light. Gradually beat in the cornflour and sifted spelt flour until combined and the mixture begins to come together into a ball; wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.

5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ½cm thick. Using a 7cm, round cutter, stamp out 12 biscuits, re-rolling as necessary. Transfer the biscuits to a parchment-lined baking tray and prick each one several times with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes, until just starting to colour at the edges. Sprinkle lightly with a little more caster sugar and cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (The biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)

6. Sandwich slightly softened scoops of the ice cream between pairs of shortbread, drizzling with the leftover compote. To prepare in advance, sandwich biscuit pairs together with the ice cream, immediately wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 1 month before serving.

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Strawberry, lychee and passion fruit pavlova

"I'd like to say this is my own recipe but, like most of the best recipes, it has been handed down through the generations, in this instance via the famous(-in-New-Zealand) 'Edmonds Cookery Book'. When I was a child, baking the perfect 'pav' was a source of domestic Kiwi pride – it must have a crunchy crust encasing a marshmallow centre, lashings of whipped cream and fresh fruit." Anna Hansen

Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus cooling
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes, plus cooling 60 minutes 25 minutes
Serves: 10



Ingredients
4 egg whites
315g caster sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cornfl our
400g strawberries, hulled and quartered
8 lychees (peeled and stoned if fresh, or tinned), halved
2 passion fruit
1 tbsp light brown muscovado sugar
400ml whipping cream

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Beat the egg whites and caster sugar together with electric beaters on a high speed for 10–15 minutes, until thick and glossy. In a separate small bowl, stir the vinegar and vanilla into the cornfl our until smooth, then add to the meringue, beating for 1 more minute.

2. Line a large, flat baking tray with baking parchment, then dollop the pavlova mixture into the centre. Spread out evenly to form a 23cm circle, keeping it as round and even as possible.

3. Place the pavlova in the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 100°C, gas mark ¼, and bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside to cool. Once completely cool, carefully transfer to a serving plate.

4. Put the strawberries, lychees and passion fruit pulp in a bowl with the muscovado sugar. Mix gently but thoroughly and leave for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Whip the cream to medium-soft peaks and spread evenly over the pavlova. Spoon over the fruit and serve at once.

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Strawberry ripple shortbread slice

Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 2 hours freezing time
Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Makes: 12 Bars



Ingredients
400g pack essential Waitrose Strawberries, hulled and cut into wedges
2 tsp icing sugar
250g shortbread fingers, crushed
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 litre tub Waitrose Vanilla Dairy Ice Cream
2 tbsp Waitrose Cooks' Homebaking Freeze Dried Strawberries

Method
1. Blitz 175g of the strawberries in a food processor. Add the icing sugar then press the whole lot through a sieve to make a sauce. Set aside in the fridge.

2. Mix 225g of the crushed shortbread with the melted butter. Press this mixture into the base of a baking parchment-lined slice tin, about 18 x 28cm in size. Chill for 15 minutes. Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften slightly.

3. Smooth the ice cream over the chilled shortbread base. Drizzle with the strawberry sauce then scatter over the fresh strawberries, dried strawberries and remaining shortbread. Return to the freezer for at least 2 hours or until firm then remove and leave to stand at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before cutting into bars with a sharp knife.

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Fresh strawberry & vanilla New York-style cheesecake

Serves: 8-12



Ingredients
125g McVitie's Hobnobs biscuits or Waitrose Vanilla Viennese Swirls
125g Seriously Gingery All Butter Dark Chocolate & Ginger Biscuits
25g butter, melted
600g cream cheese
75g caster sugar
4 large essential Waitrose Free Range Eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
300g fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 tbsp icing sugar
Few sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
170ml tub soured cream

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160˚C, gas mark 2. Line the base of a 23cm springform loose-bottomed cake tin with parchment paper. Place the biscuits in a food processor and whizz until fine crumbs. Tip into a bowl, add the melted butter and mix well. Press the biscuits into the base of the tin and place in the fridge to chill.

2. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar with an electric hand whisk until smooth then carefully add the eggs one at a time, with the vanilla extract, until well mixed – be careful not to over whisk. Pour the mixture onto the chilled biscuit base and bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes until just set. Turn off the heat and leave the cake to cool in the oven with the door open.

3. Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a bowl with the icing sugar and mint and toss together well.

4. When the cheesecake is completely cooled, spoon the soured cream over the top and spread to give a thin layer then decorate with the fresh, minted strawberries.

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Devonshire splits

These little buns, split and filled with jam and cream make a great alternative to scones for afternoon tea. If making more than a day in advance, it's better to freeze them, then thaw and warm through in the oven before serving.

Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus proving and cooling
Cooking time: 10 minutes to 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes to 40 minutes 40 minutes



Ingredients
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
25g caster sugar
10g easy-blend yeast
25g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease
300ml hand hot milk

To serve
Whipped or clotted cream
Strawberry or raspberry jam
Icing sugar, for dusting

Method
1. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Add the butter and milk. Mix with a round bladed knife to make a fairly soft dough, adding a dash more hot milk or water if the dough feels dry. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes to make a smooth, elastic dough. (Alternatively knead for 5 minutes using a free-standing mixer fitted with a dough hook). Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

2. Grease a large baking sheet. Punch the dough to deflate it and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide into 12 pieces and shape each into a ball. Space well apart on the baking sheet. Cover loosely with greased cling film and leave for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.

3. Bake the buns for 10 - 15 minutes until risen and pale golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

4. Make a deep diagonal slit through the top of each bun. Ease open with a knife and fill with the cream and jam. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

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Strawberry ripple baked alaska

Preparation time: 35 minutes, plus cooling and freezing
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Total time: 47 minutes 50 minutes
Serves: 8



Ingredients
400g strawberries, plus extra to decorate
175g caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
Approx 2/3 of a Waitrose Madeira cake
1 litre tub Waitrose Vanilla Ice Cream
2 egg whites

Method
1. To make the strawberry sauce, hull and halve the strawberries and put in a small saucepan with 50g of the sugar and 3 tbsp water. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar then cover with a lid and cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the strawberries are very soft. Press the mixture through a sieve to extract as much juice as possible and return to the saucepan. Blend the cornflour with 1 tbsp water and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until the sauce is very thick. Pour into a small bowl and leave to cool.

2. Cut the Madeira cake into 1.5cm-thick slices and arrange over the base of an 18cm loose-bottomed cake tin or spring-release tin, cutting the pieces to fit and packing it down firmly with your fingers. Microwave the tub of ice cream for a couple of minutes to soften (or leave at room temperature for about 20 minutes). Spread about a third of the strawberry sauce over the cake with the back of a spoon. Turn the ice cream into a bowl and break it up into scoop-sized pieces. Spoon the rest of the strawberry sauce over the ice cream. Without mixing the sauce into the ice cream, spoon it into the tin and pack it down gently. The ice cream will become rippled with pockets of strawberry sauce. Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours.

3. Put the egg whites in a thoroughly clean bowl. Whisk with an electric whisk until softly peaking. Add a dessertspoonful of the remaining sugar and whisk for 15 seconds. Add another spoonful of the sugar and whisk again. Continue whisking and adding the sugar at intervals until the meringue is stiff and glossy.

4. Loosen the edges of the ice cream with a warm knife and remove from the tin. Place on a baking tray. Using a palette knife, spread the meringue mixture over the top and sides of the ice cream in an even layer. Rough up the surface with the knife and return the pudding to the freezer for at least 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 230°C, gas mark 8. Transfer the dessert to the oven and bake for about 3 minutes until the meringue peaks are turning deep golden. (Watch closely as the meringue will brown very quickly). Transfer to a serving plate, surround with additional strawberries and serve immediately.

Cook's tip
Have the additional strawberries, serving plate and dishes all prepared before you put the pudding in the oven so it's ready to serve as soon as possible.

See more at www.waitrose.com/summer