We have this serious glut of strawberries going on at our place right now. I know, I know. Tough problem to have, right? Well, it’s not really a problem. I can tell you there’s not many of those delicious red berries going to waste. Our patch is netted, so we’re not sharing too many with the local wildlife (here it’s not just the insects and the birds, but reptiles like blue tongue lizards and baby skinks as well).

The chickens are getting the few imperfect ones, and the rest are either scoffed on the spot by my kids, or actually making it to the kitchen. I have a couple of strawberry recipes for you – this first one is a simple savoury dish to serve with friends as an entrée or snack over drinks.

What You Need:

• 3/4 cup of fresh strawberries, half some of them, dice the rest.
• 1 round of camembert cheese. Like everything, buy the best you can afford. For this recipe, it’s best (but not essential) to buy one that comes in its own box.
• Balsamic glaze (found in the salad dressing isle of your supermarket).
• Bruschetta or crusty bread to serve.
• Pancetta or prosciutto to serve.

How it’s Done:

If you’re lucky enough to purchase a Camembert in its own box, all you need to do is remove it, and any plastic packaging. Score the top of the rind with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern, about half a centimetre deep. Then pop it back in box, without the lid.

Push the strawberry halves into the scored rind, sprinkle the diced pieces on top, reserving a few to keep fresh to serve,

Bake for around 12 – 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C, until cheese is melted through – beware of over-baking though. Camembert has a habit of re-setting if it over cooks.

To serve, place on a cheese platter, drizzle with plenty of balsamic glaze. Add crusty bread and prosciutto if desired. Sounds like a strange combination – but it’s delicious!

If you don’t have a Camembert round in its own box – I didn’t – don’t despair! Cut a square of baking paper, and another of foil. Place the baking paper on top of the foil, the unwrapped cheese on top of that, and, holding firm, tie it with kitchen twine.

This helps to keep the Camembert in shape and stop any leakage of hot oozing cheese all over your oven tray. You should be able to see where I’ve tied the twine in the ‘before’ photo here. Otherwise, prepare and serve exactly the same way. 

EXTREMELY Easy (No Bake) Blueberry Cream Pie Recipe! One of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made! Perfect for any occasion especially if you’re a procrastinator like me! 

Ingredients:

• 1 Graham cracker pie crust.
• 8 oz package of cream cheese
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 10 oz cool whip
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 10 oz blueberry pie filling

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cool whip, and vanilla extract, until completely combined.
2. Pour this mixture into your pie pan.
3. Layer the top of your cream with the blueberry pie filling.
4. Let cool in the fridge for about an hour or two, and enjoy!

(This recipe is my attempt at the recipe originally posted on www.culinarycoutureblog.com)

Ingredients:

Dough-

• ¾ cup warm water
• 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup oil
• 4 ½ cup flour

Filling-

• 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)

Cream Cheese Frosting-

• 2 oz cream cheese (softened)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. In a mixer, with the dough hook attachment, add water, yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir a bit, and allow it to rise for about a few minutes.
2. In a small bowl combine the egg, buttermilk and oil. Once the yeast mixture as risen, add egg and buttermilk mixture to your mixing bowl, and the rest of the sugar and salt mix.
3. Add two cups of flour, and allow it to mix on low until the flour is incorporated (if you don’t mix on low, you’re going to be covered in flour…). Add flour, a little at a time until the dough isn’t sticky and the sides of the bowl seem clean.
4. Put the dough into another, non metal bowl and allow to rise for an hour or until it doubles in size. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Butter a baking dish. The original recipe says an 11×15 inch glass dish, but I used an aluminium one.
5. When your dough has doubled in size, flour a clean work surface and start rolling out the dough. It should only be a quarter of an inch thick, or so. Spread your softened butter on the entire dough. Leaving about an inch of space on one side of your dough square, sprinkle on the cinnamon and brown sugar filling, pressing it into the dough and butter to ensure it will stay inside of the roll.
6. Start rolling the dough from the opposite side of the square (from where you left your one extra inch, and tightly roll your cinnamon rolls). When you come to the last empty inch, lightly brush it with warm water and stick the end on.
7. Cut the ends of the dough roll off, and start measuring/cutting one and a half inch segments. Stand this in a buttered baking dish and allow to rise for another hour.
8. When they have risen again, preheat your oven to 350, and allow to bake for fifteen or so minutes.
9. While those are baking you can start working on your frosting. In a bowl cream together the butter, and cream cheese. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice, and continue to mix. A little at a time start incorporating the powdered sugar. Allow to mix for another few minutes, until the icing turns white.
10. Right when your cinnamon rolls come out, cover them with icing and ENJOY!

This was the perfect dessert for the Super Bowl! Every really liked them, and couldn’t compliment them enough! They make the entire house smell delicious!!

Okay, so we have our three recipes together, right? No? Well then, check these links –

For the Easy-Peesy Chocolate Brownie, click here.

For the Honeycomb, click here.

And for the Dark Chocolate Mud Ice Cream, click here.

Three desserts in one make something special!

Now we have all the recipes in order, if you’ve managed to keep the end results away from sticky fingers, it’s time to put them all together for something a bit special. Just like the three previous recipes, this one is way easier than it looks. Plus, no new ingredients! It’s just a matter of plating up.

What You Need:

Homemade Chocolate Brownies, still in the pan, cooled but unsliced.

Homemade Honeycomb. Crushed.

Homemade Dark Chocolate Mud ice cream that has been set in a slice tray.

A round cookie cutter, aprox 7cm.

A round cookie cutter, aprox 4cm.

To serve, I added golden syrup and a commercial chocolate sauce.

Dark chocolate ice-cream with brownies and honeycomb!

How It’s Done:

After all that hard work, this is the fun bit! Using your cookie cutter, cut a circular shape from your brownies. My brownies were quite thick, so I cut it in half width-wise, but if yours are thinner, cut two circles. Cut one circle from your set ice cream – make sure it’s the same size and your brownies. Place one brownie on the plate, the ice cream directly on top of it, and then another brownie piece. You need to work quickly and carefully at this point. Then, using a smaller round cookie cutter – or a small ice cream scoop – cut another two discs of ice cream. Place one flat on top, the other sitting on an angle. Then, crumble honeycomb pieces over the top and a few more on the side of the dish for garnish. I added a quick swirl of golden syrup and chocolate sauce too.

*Experiment! Just because I’ve used round shapes here, doesn’t mean you can’t cut squares, heart shapes or anything else. And, if you’re taking your dessert directly to the table, a warmed chocolate sauce would be DELISH.

I made this one for a birthday party and while I don’t like coconut, everyone was loving it! It was quick, easy and simple! I promise!

Ingredients:

For Custard-

• 1 premade pie crust
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 ¼ cup of sweetened coconut flakes
• ½ cup of sugar
• 1/3 cup of flour
• ½ cup of milk
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

For Meringue-

• 3 egg whites
• ¼ cup of sugar

Instructions:

1. In a medium sized sauce pan, mix egg yolks, sugar, flour, milk, and butter. Allow to thicken over medium heat, whisking constantly. (Be very careful and pay close attention to the pot.)
2. Once the mixture has thickened, take the pot off the heat, and add 1 cup of coconut flakes and vanilla extract, stir.
3. Pour this mixture into the prepared pie crust.
4. Preheat oven to 325F. In a mixing bowl beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff. You should be able to turn over the bowl without being afraid the meringue will fall out.
5. Spread the meringue onto of your custard mixture in your pie crust and sprinkle the rest of your coconut flakes over top. Allow to bake until meringue has turned gold!

Enjoy!