Strawberries & cream sweet beginnings

It turns out Wimbledon has been serving the summery fruity freshness of strawberries and cream since the tournament began in July, 1877. And, it’s no wonder when you consider this was when these berries first became highly fashionable. They are also in season at this time of year as strawberries tend to ripen from early summer. I think this treat delivers such a simple, yet delicious, dessert, which takes little preparation. It’s one of my favourite dishes in the summer and strawberries and cream must count as one of your five-a-day, right?!

Fun facts for strawberry lovers

• Strawberries are the only fruit to have seeds on the outside. This means they’re actually a member of the rose family so, technically, they’re not classed as an actual fruit
• Each berry tends to have 200 seeds
• Strawberries actually contain 91% water
• These berries contain more vitamin C than oranges
• Strawberries also come in other colours such as yellow, white, black and purple
• The ancient Romans used this berry to treat fevers and sore throats

A great British tradition

I hear Wimbledon has managed to get through a staggering 27 tonnes of strawberries and 7,000 litres of cream per tournament in recent years. However, there’s so much more you can do with these ingredients in a recipe, whether you choose to use just the fruit or the delightful duo. This is why, every summer, I look forward to creating recipes, which feature strawberries, with or without cream. Also, this berry not only tastes amazing but it’s great for decoration; imagine the deep red colour of strawberries creating a striking topping on a statement cake, for example.

Strawberry macarons

Macarons are notoriously difficult because there’s a lot that can go wrong with this dessert. But, if you understand the key points in the method, you’ll instantly see why you need to take certain stages in the cooking process carefully. Then you’ll find these mouth-watering bites are pretty foolproof! Just check out the handy tips you’ll find in my recipe.

Summer berry trifle

This is one of my absolute favourite summer desserts thanks to the clever combination of jelly, custard, sponge and cream. The winning Platinum Pudding, for example, was delicious. But the all-time top of my trifle recipes list will always feature strawberries. You could make life easier (cheat!) and buy ready-made custard. A great time-saver, too, is to pick up lady fingers from a supermarket rather than making your own sponges. This way, you can make the recipe easier or more complex – you decide!

Strawberry sheet cake

Roasting the strawberries will really enhance their flavour. In fact, this is the secret to the amazing flavour in this sheet cake sponge. This recipe will also enable you to make the most delicious soft sponge and this dish would be perfect for a Wimbledon party.

Lemon Eton mess tart

This citrus fruit adds great flavour, which complements the strawberries. In fact, the sweetness of these berries balances out the tangy lemon perfectly. The Eton mess topping on this recipe also provides a great balance between textures and flavours.

Anyone for tennis?

You don’t have to be a fan to enjoy strawberries and cream. I’ve been to Wimbledon once, during the Olympics, where I saw some great tennis and I’d love to go again. This year, I’ll be rooting for Emma Raducanu as I watched her win the US Open on TV and she’s amazing. So, I’ve just created a new recipe, which I’m looking forward to serving to friends and family while I watch her play:

Strawberries and cream cheesecake

I’ve just created a new recipe, which I’m looking forward to serving to friends and family while we watch professional tennis player Emma at this year’s tournament on TV. My strawberries and cream cheesecake is a no-bake recipe, which is effortless. Not only will you save time in the kitchen but you can still delight Wimbledon guests with a mouth-watering dessert. You’ll find the method and all the ingredients you’ll need here.