Wimbledon-inspired strawberry recipes to tuck into for the tennis

Tennis season has started.

Wimbledon-inspired strawberry recipes (Steven Paston/PA)

If there was ever a food synonymous with a sporting events, it’s strawberries at Wimbledon.

British strawberry season – from May to September – is here too, so whether you’re planning to watch the tennis (or just enjoy the fruit), there’s no better time to whip up some desserts showcasing this amazing ingredient.

Speedy Strawberry and Lemon Grilled Pudding

(Sorted/PA)

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

• 12 sponge fingers

• 1 lemon

• 400g strawberries

• 1 tin condensed milk (397g)

• 150g natural yoghurt

• 1 handful demerara sugar

• 1 handful almond flakes, toasted

• 2 sprigs fresh mint

Method

1. Grab a shallow baking dish and arrange the sponge fingers into a single layer in the bottom. Zest over the lemon and squeeze the juice over the top of the sponge fingers.

2. Hull and quarter the strawberries. Mush some of them up with the back of a fork, then scatter half of them over the sponge fingers.

3. Whisk together the condensed milk with the yoghurt and pour over the dish. Finish with another layer of strawberries and a generous sprinkling of the demerara sugar.

4. Place the dish under the hot grill and leave to warm through and caramelise the top for about 4-5 minutes. Remove and decorate with some toasted almond flakes and a few leaves of picked mint.

5. Serve immediately and tuck in with family or friends.

(Recipe by Ben Ebbrell, chef and co-founder of Sorted Food).

Giant Strawberries and Cream Scone Cake

(Kris Kirkham/PA)

Ingredients

• 450g self-raising flour

• 110g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

• 50g caster sugar, plus 4tbsp for the compote

• 260ml milk, (preferably whole milk), plus extra for brushing

• 200g strawberries, hulled and chopped (for the compote), plus 200g to finish

• ½ lemon, juice only

• 150ml double cream, to finish

• 150g clotted cream, to finish

• 1 cup icing sugar, to dust (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt, the butter and caster sugar. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips, until it resembles sand with no large lumps.

2. Slowly add the milk and start mixing it all together using a knife (this avoids overworking the dough, which could create a tough, chewy texture). Once most of the dough has come together, use your hands to bring it gently into a ball. Shape into a round and place on the lined baking tray.

3. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out to a circle about 20cm in diameter and 3cm thick. Brush the top with milk, then bake for 25-30 mins, until golden. Remove from the oven, peel off the baking paper and leave on a wire rack to cool.

4. While the scone is cooking, make the compote. Place the chopped strawberries, caster sugar and lemon juice in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a gentle rolling boil. Cook for around 15 mins until it starts to look syrupy, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Chill in the fridge until needed.

5. Place the creams in a bowl and whisk to stiff peaks. When ready to serve, stir in the strawberry compote.

6. Carefully slice the scone in half horizontally and smother the lower half in the cream and strawberry mix. Cover with sliced strawberries, then pop the top of the scone back on. Dust with icing sugar, if you like.

(Recipe by OcadoLife).

Strawberry shortbread

(Bonne Maman/PA)

Ingredients

• About 25g shortbread biscuits

• 15g shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

• 2tbsp melted butter

• 4 ripe strawberries

• About 12 fresh raspberries

• 100g blueberries

• 4tbsp Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve

• 1tbsp Elderflower Cordial

• 100g soft cheese

• 125g ready-made vanilla custard

• 75g crème fraîche

• Extra fruits, chopped pistachios and mini shortbreads, to decorate

Method

1. Put the shortbread biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush to crumbs with a rolling pin. Mix with the pistachio nuts and melted butter and divide between two Bonne Maman conserve jars.

2. Thinly slice 2 strawberries and use to line the inside of the jars. Roughly chop the remaining strawberries and spoon into the centre. Top with the raspberries and blueberries.

3. Stir together the Bonne Maman Conserve, the elderflower cordial and 1 tbsp water. Spoon over the fruit.

4. Finally, beat the soft cheese, custard and crème fraîche together until smooth and spoon on top of the fruits.

5. Finish with some extra fruits, a sprinkling of nuts and a mini shortbread Crown biscuit.

Gin Strawberry Spritz

(Sipsmith/PA)

Ingredients

• 50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin

• 15ml Briottet Creme de Fraise (Gabriel Boudier or Giffard also acceptable)

• 100ml Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic

Method

1. Add ingredients to an ice-filled glass.

2. Lift from the bottom of the glass with a stirrer or bar spoon to gently combine the ingredients.

3. Garnish with freshly sliced strawberries.