Strawberries epitomise the taste of British summer- whether served with lashings of cream at Wimbledon, with a glass of chilled fizz as part of an afternoon tea, or simply picked and eaten sun-warmed straight from the punnet.
In this trio of indulgent desserts, we’ve created recipes that celebrate their uniquely fruity flavour. Serve up one of these simple puddings as a sweet finale to any summer gathering, from a family barbecue to a laid-back Sunday lunch in the garden or an easy-going dinner party with friends.
Whether you fancy roasting them with balsamic vinegar in our no-bake tart, macerating with sweet alcohol for our twist on a tiramisu, or baking them with rhubarb in a crumbly, nostalgic pie, there’s a recipe to suit all tastes – young or old. Follow our tips and make-ahead advice so that you’ve got pudding sorted.
Roasted strawberry tart
Our gorgeously simple sweet tart is a cinch to whip up at home, but it looks like you’ve slaved for hours. Have you ever tried roasting strawberries? We think it brings out all their natural flavours and concentrates their sweetness.
For the best results, roast the berries and prep the tart case the day before. Then make the filling and complete it on the day
- Serves 8
- Prep 20 mins | Cook 30 mins, plus cooling and chilling
- Per serving: 466 cals, 30g fat, 16g sat fat, 47g carbs
Roasted strawberry tart
Ingredients
- 500g strawberries, hulled, large ones halved
- 120g caster sugar
- 2 strips pared orange zest
- 1 bay leaf
- 2tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 150g white chocolate
- 20cm sweet pastry case
- 150ml crème fraiche
- 250g double cream
- 3 amaretti biscuits, crumbled Basil leaves, to garnish
Method
- 1 Heat the oven to 180C Fan. Toss the strawberries in a lined baking tray with the sugar, orange zest, bay leaf and balsamic. Roast for 20-25 mins, until syrupy, but the strawberries are still holding their shape. Remove the bay leaf. Set the mixture aside to cool, then chill until needed.
- 2 Melt the chocolate and thinly spread 50g all over the inside of the pastry case. Leave to set.
- 3 In a pan, heat the crème fraiche until steaming. Mix into the remaining melted chocolate until smooth, cover and chill.
- 4 Whizz most of the syrup and ¼ of the chilled strawberries to a smooth sauce.
- 5 In a large bowl, mix the chocolate mixture and double cream. Once smooth, whip to soft peaks, then lightly fold through the strawberry sauce for a rippled effect. Spoon into the pastry case and chill for 1-2 hrs, to firm up.
- 6 When ready to serve, top the tart with the remaining roasted strawberries, crumbled amaretti biscuits and basil.
Additional serving idea: Roasting straberries is a great way to use them up if they're almost past their best. Serve them rippled through cream for a twist on strawberry fool, serve alongside cheesecakes, with meringues, in trifles or even on the side of a savoury cheese selection.
Strawberry and passion fruit tiramisu
Strawberry and passion fruit tiramisu
A summery twist on one of Italy’s most famous chilled desserts - we've swapped tiramisu's traditional coffee and chocolate for seasonal strawberries, passionfruit and lemon.
You can prepare this easy pudding well in advance, making it a dream for summer gatherings with the family. Assemble to the end of step 6, up to 2 days ahead. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Serves 8
- Prep 30 mins, plus macerating and chilling
- Per serving: 496 cals, 31g fat, 19g sat fat, 46g carbs
- You will need: 2ltr dish
Ingredients
- 400g strawberries, hulled and chopped, plus
- 200g sliced for the top
- 100g caster sugar, plus
- 5tbsp
- 90g passion fruit pulp
- 3tbsp Marsala
- 3 medium free-range eggs, separated Zest
- 1 lemon
- 2tsp vanilla bean paste
- 500g mascarpone
- 200g sponge fingers White chocolate shavings, to decorate
Method
- 1 Toss the chopped strawberries in a bowl with the 5tbsp sugar. Cover and set aside for at least 2 hrs, or overnight, until softened and syrupy.
- 2 Strain the strawberries over a bowl, reserving the syrup. Mix the berries with the passion fruit pulp, and the syrup with the Marsala. Set the syrup and fruit aside.
- 3 Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla bean paste and 50g sugar in a large bowl, until pale and fluffy, then fold in the mascarpone.
- 4 In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the remaining 50g sugar in several additions, and whisk to firm peaks.
- 5 Mix a spoonful of the egg-white mixture into the mascarpone mixture to loosen, then gently fold in the rest, until just combined.
- 6 Dip half the sponge fingers in the Marsala syrup and arrange in the base of the dish. Spread over half the fruit mixture, followed by half the mascarpone cream. Repeat with the sponge fingers and fruit, finishing with a layer of mascarpone cream. Cover and chill for at least 4 hrs, or overnight.
- 7 Decorate the tiramisu with the sliced strawberries and the white chocolate shavings, just before serving.
Additional serving idea: Tossing the strawberries in sugar draws out the juices to create a flavoursome syrup without needing to cook them. It’s a great way to extend the life of seasonal fruits, and they will keep for several days in the fridge. Use them up simply stirred through cream, as a vibrant topping for sponge cakes, or whizzed to a puree for a tasty addition to summer cocktails.
Strawberry and rhubarb pie
Strawberry and rhubarb pie
Served warm straight from the oven, you can’t beat a sweet fruit-filled pie after a summery Sunday lunch in the garden. When making pastry, it’s best to keep all the ingredients cold so you get a light and crumbly texture. This is why we specify iced water and cold butter. Make sure you also leave plenty of time to chill the pastry. This will help to achieve the best texture because the gluten that has been activated in the flour has time to rest.
- Serves 6
- Prep 1 hr | Cook 45 mins, plus chilling
- Per serving: 629 cals, 37g fat, 20g sat fat, 71g carbs
- You will need: 23cm pie dish, lightly buttered
- For the pastry:
- 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 225g cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1tbsp caster sugar
- 80ml iced water
- 1 medium free-range egg, beaten
- 2tbsp demerara sugar
- For the filling:
- 400g rhubarb, cut into
- 2.5cm chunks
- 300g strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1 large cooking apple, peeled and cut into
- 2cm chunks 3tbsp strawberry jam
- 2tsp vanilla bean paste
- 120g caster sugar
- 3tbsp cornflour
- 3tbsp ground almonds Cream, to serve
Method
- 1 For the pastry, put the flour, butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse to a rough breadcrumb texture, leaving some larger chunks of butter. Add the iced water and pulse again to bring the pastry together.
- 2 Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a flat ball. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hr.
- 3 Mix the filling ingredients, except the ground almonds, in a large bowl; set aside.
- 4 Heat the oven to 180C Fan, with a baking tray inside. Set aside about a third of the pastry for the lid; roll out the rest to a circle a little larger than the pie dish. Line the dish, leaving the overhang. Sprinkle the ground almonds over the base, then add the filling.
- 5 Roll out the reserved pastry a bit larger than the dish and cut short slits in a star pattern in it, then lay over the pie. Press the edges together, trim the overhang and crimp the edges. Brush the lid with egg and sprinkle over the demerara sugar.
- 6 Bake the pie on the hot baking tray for 45 mins; rest for 30 mins. Serve with plenty of cream.
Additional serving suggestion: This gorgeous dessert benefits from being cooled a little, so that the filling has a little time to set up and become syrupy. As this is quite a saucy pie, keep the fruit chunky and don’t let it sit for long before baking.
Credits: recipes by Jess Meyer, food styling by Jen Bedloe and assisted by Rose Fooks.
