Significant cultural and/or global events almost always serve long stranding, traditional, legendary, signature foods and/or beverages. At the Kentucky Derby it's Mint Juleps. At Oktoberfest it's giant, salted Bavarian pretzels. At the Masters Tournament it's Pimento Cheese sandwiches. At Mardi Gras it's King Cake. And at Wimbledon, the iconic food served is Strawberries and Cream.
A dessert made with a combination of a fruit and dairy is deeply rooted in English culture. In fact, it goes back to the 16th century! However, it wasn't until the late 1800s when the celebrated Strawberries and Cream become synonymous with Wimbledon. At the time this dish was considered to be a bit of a luxury. Fortunately, today this simple to make, slightly decadent, classic, delicious dessert is still impressive but easily affordable.
The best time of the year to make Strawberries and Cream is when strawberries are in season. Which means now is when you want to be making this luscious, ambrosial dessert. And, if by chance, you were looking for a 4th of July dessert to wow your family and friends, this is the one you want to make! Note: You can actually make this dessert year-round if you can find some great, fresh strawberries.
Because it uses very few ingredients, you want the best ingredients available. So look for the freshest, ripest strawberries in your grocery stores and/or at your Farmer's Markets. As far as the other ingredients go, you only want to use a full fat sour cream and the best (real) vanilla extract you can buy. I am a big fan of the Nielson Massey Madagascar Vanilla.
Whatever you do, don't skip out on sprinkling the light brown sugar on the middle and top layers of the strawberries. The light brown sugar not only adds a rich, molasses-tinged sweetness, it further balances out the tartness of the fresh strawberries.
There are a variety of ingredients used to help stabilize whipping cream when it's whipped to slightly firm peaks. The most flavorful one of all is sour cream! In addition to helping ensure the whipped cream doesn't weep, it adds a bit of tang!
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You can assemble the individual portions of the Strawberries and Cream and serve later in the day. Or you can serve them immediately after you assemble them. If you are choosing to serve this dessert family style (aka platter style), you can whip up the cream early in the day, cover and refrigerate. However, I would wait to slice up the strawberries until you are ready to serve.
Imagine bringing out a tray of these incredibly scrumptious Strawberries and Cream parfaits to your next gathering! If you don't a have a strawberry plant or patch in your backyard, garnish them with a sprig of fresh mint. This small touch creates an even more impressive presentation. And for those of you who have been regular followers of the blog, you know one of my favorite mantras is 'you eat with your eyes first'.
Have a safe, fun, memorable, and delicious Fourth of July Weekend!
Recipe
Strawberries and Cream
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
1 pound of fresh strawberries, hulled and cut (either into bite size quarters or generous 1/4 inch slices)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
2 1/2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 Tablespoons confectionary sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of Kosher Salt
2-3 Tablespoons of light brown sugar
Fresh sprigs of mint or strawberry leaves
Directions
1. Prepare the strawberries. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of standing mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
3. Add in the sour cream, confectionary sugar, vanilla, and Kosher salt. Beat until you have firm (not too stiff) peaks. Note: The consistency of the mixture should be stable enough to pipe in a pastry bag.
4. For individual servings, pipe a ring of the whipped cream on the bottom of a 6 to 8 ounce clear glass. Top with about 1/8th of the strawberries. Very lightly sprinkle with light brown sugar. Pipe another ring of the whipped cream on top of the strawberries. Top with another 1/8 portion of the strawberries. Spoon or pipe a large dollop of the whipped cream on top. Finish with a slightly more generous portion of the light brown sugar. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint or fresh strawberry leaves. Note: If preparing early in the day (and refrigerating), hold off on the second/final sprinkling of the light brown sugar until you are ready to serve.
Notes: (1) This recipe is easily doubled! Simply double the amounts of each ingredient. For measuring purposes 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Sour Cream doubled would be 1/3 of a cup. (2) Instead of making individual portions you can spoon the whipped cream into a beautiful bowl. Arrange the strawberries on a platter. Place the whipped cream in the center. Place another small bowl of light brown sugar next to the whipped cream. (3) You can find clear glass tumblers at a variety of stores. Crate and Barrel and Williams-Sonoma are good sources. I use them for serving puddings, parfaits, juice, and wine!
