Fresh, baked, doused in booze, churned into ice cream or simmered into a jam, who doesn’t love strawberries, raspberries and all the other delicious ‘fruits of the wood’. Here are my favourite berry recipes.
Caramelised Baked Strawberries This easy dessert is inspired by one my friend Janni Kyritsis taught me when we wrote Wild Weed Pie together. Throughout much of the year, strawberries are more about colour than taste. Heating them, especially with a touch of sugar, brings out their natural flavour. Baked strawberries make a simple dessert served […]
Cranachan Cranachan, a combination of oats, raspberries, whisky and honey (ideally heather honey, which is available online from Gourmet Life), is the most typical Scottish dessert. A bit like a Scottish Eton mess, these days it’s usually made with whipped cream, though traditionally Scotland’s cottage cheese, crowdie, was used, giving it a more lactic tang. […]
Raspberry Lime Sherbet I love the way good basic recipes can be rejigged to suit different occasions and ingredients. I originally made a mango and lime sorbet (more accurately called a sherbet, see FAQ below for details); then when I needed something to accompany a friend’s chocolate tart I used the base recipe to create […]
Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies This American classic is one of the easiest sweet treats to make. The recipe could be written in one sentence: melt butter and chocolate, whisk eggs and sugar, combine, fold in flour and bake. The most delicious brownies I’ve ever had were made by Scottish food writer Sue Lawrence; they contained […]
Classic Pavlova Let’s skip the Australia vs New Zealand debate and just agree that this popular dessert (as light as the ballerina Anna Pavlova), is delicious and much easier to make than it looks. The secret to a light crisp shell and marshmallowy centre is the vinegar and cornflour, plus letting it cool completely in […]
Breakfast Parfait I’m not much for breakfast, except on weekends when I have time for a leisurely brunch on the veranda with a big bowl of coffee and my latest cookbook. Then I do like the crunch of toasted muesli (especially Phillippa’s cranberry granola) with the creamy tang of a thick natural yoghurt like Meredith […]
Strawberries in Cointreau So simple, it’s hardly a recipe at all, strawberries in Cointreau is my go-to dish when I want a super-quick delicious finish to a meal. It’s perfect for a night in for two, and just as easily multiplied for a casual dinner party. In summer, when it’s easier to get full-flavoured strawberries, […]
Strawberries Romanoff I’ve seen this simple dessert credited to Câreme and Escoffier (under the name Strawberries Americaine-style) though it seems to have become famous at Romanoff’s, a popular Beverly Hills restaurant in the 1940s and 50s. It was a favourite of mine at a suburban Italian restaurant that I frequented in the 1980s where they […]
Palmiers with Strawberries & Crème Fraîche These little French pastries are easy, versatile and delicious. The secret to palmiers is to use good butter puff pastry, not one made with margarine or other commercial fats; Carême brand is available in many delis and specialty stores and it’s handy to keep a roll or two in […]
Summer Pudding I’ve long been intrigued by summer pudding, the classic British dessert made in the height of summer when berries are abundant and very ripe. It’s ideal for warm weather and the colour is perfect for the Australian festive table. There are many variations using all sorts of berries, but raspberries and red currants […]
