Have you been watching Wimbledon? Haven’t the Brits been doing well this year? Scrap that – I’ve just watched Murray get knocked out!

Nothing says Wimbledon fortnight more than strawberries & cream. I’ve adapted a Nigel Slater recipe to create a little twist on the classic – vanilla cream with red berries.

I planned on using our home and allotment-grown strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants but we didn’t have a large enough quantity that was ripe all at the same time. I made a quick trip to the supermarket for a punnet of strawberries to bulk up our rations.

Slater used orange juice and passion fruits in the original recipe. However, I used a few glugs from a bottle of grenadine syrup I’ve had in the store cupboard for ages. What a fantastic, last-minute idea – it worked brilliantly, with the strawberries especially. From this day forward, I’ll always team my fresh strawberries with it!

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Vanilla cream with red berries

2017-07-12 17:30:44

Ingredients

1. 250g/9oz crème fraîche
2. 250g/9oz mascarpone
3. 1 vanilla pod
4. 800g/28oz mixture of red berries (I used strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants)
5. 50ml/1 ¾ fl oz grenadine syrup
6. sprig of mint to garnish

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Instructions

1. Place a sieve or small colander over a mixing bowl and line it with a piece of muslin (I used a jelly bag)
2. Spoon the crème fraîche and fromage frais into a mixing bowl
3. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways with a sharp knife, open it flat and scrape out the dark, sticky seeds. Fold the seeds through the crème fraîche/fromage frais mixture and spoon it into the muslin-lined sieve
4. Cover the sieve/colander and its under-bowl with cling film (Saran wrap) and leave in the fridge overnight, during which time the vanilla cream will thicken to cheesecake-like texture
5. Hull & slice the berries (not redcurrants if using), put them into a mixing bowl, pour over the grenadine syrup. Mix gently to cover all the fruit with the liquid, cover with cling film and refrigerate for about an hour
6. Upturn the sieve/colander on to a plate and allow the muslin and cream to slide out
7. Carefully peel away the muslin
8. Spoon the marinated red berries and liquid around the vanilla cream
9. Drizzle an extra capful or two of grenadine syrup over the top of the vanilla cream
10. Serve!

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By Nigel Slater

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/