Strawberry Whip with Custard

I've always loved desserts that consist of fruit and meringue or similar spongy textures and custard, and it turns out that if I am going to eat dessert now, I could do much worse. Apple Snow and Prune Whip are classics, but my freezer is still full of strawberries, so I bring you this next installment in the series of Great Desserts Made Even Better with Strawberries. I also had a go at making this dessert without gelatine, so it is now vegetarian, if that's something you want. 

It is, of course, too soon for field strawberries, so I augmented my frozen ones with some greenhouse ones. I intend to make it again in proper strawberry season, though.

The steps below add up to 40 minutes, but they can't really be done all in one smooth action, as each step requires some cooling time after it is done, so you will need to allow for that. I would also think you could put in twice as much sugar as I did, anywhere along the line where I call for it. As usual, I have adjusted and found this satisfactory, but I can see that other people could like more. You will need three large eggs in total, just in case there is any question about that.

6 to 8 servings
20 minutes to make berry sauce
15 minutes to make Swiss meringue
15 minutes to make custard

Make the Strawberry Whip:
2 cups sliced strawberries (can be frozen)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons arrowroot
a pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sliced strawberries (fresh)

Slice the berries and put them in a pot with the water, arrowroot, and salt. Stir well to dissolve the arrowroot. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the berries are soft and the sauce has thickened and turned clear; stir frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool.

When the berry sauce is cool, put the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler. Bring the water up to a steady simmer. As it gets warm, begin beating the egg whites, etc, with an electric mixer. Continue to beat them until they are very stiff and firm (cooked). Remove them from the double boiler at once and fold them gently into the berry sauce. Transfer the resulting berry whip into a serving bowl or individual serving dishes. Chill until serving time. 

Make the Custard:
1 tablespoon arrowroot
2 tablespoons sugar
a pinch of salt
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups whole milk or light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the arrowroot, sugar, salt, egg yolks, and egg into the top of a double boiler. Whisk well. When smooth, whisk in the milk or cream a little at a time before beginning to bring the heat up. Continue to whisk frequently, until the custard thickens. Remove it from the double boiler at once to cool. It can be just warm or room temperature when served with the chilled strawberry whip.




Last year at this time I made Turkish Minty Lamb Meatball Soup.

Posted in: Ontario Food