STRAWBERRIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 394, 10 January 1947, Page 16

STRAWBERRIES

E always welcome strawberries. Of course, strawberries and cream, or ice cream, will always be a first favourite; but there are lots of other ways of using strawberries, and we are inclined in New Zealand to be very conservative in our menus and foods. So let us try some of these recipes-one or two are from America, and are quite new. Canadian Strawberry Jam Mash up the strawberries. Add a little chopped. rhubarb. Allow cup for cup of sugar. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit, leave for a few hours, or overnight. Bring very slowly to the boil. Boil 3 to 5 minutes, and at the last minute add some Epsom salts-about 2 tablespoons to a good-sized boiling. Experiment with a small boiling the first time. Strawberry Conserve Six pounds of strawberries; 6lb. of sugar; 142. pints of red currant juice or gooseberry juice. Put the berries in a basin, sprinkle with half the sugar, and leave all night. Next day, put the gooseberry or currant juice in a pan with the rest of the sugar, and the juice from the strawberries. Boil 8 to 10 minutes, stirring all the time. Then add the strawberries, and boil till it will set, about 20 minutes. Skim, and fill into warm jars. Cover when cold. This makes whole strawberries in a heavy jelly. Strawberry Cake Cream %lb. butter and % cup of sugar. Add 2 beaten egg yolks, 2 small cups of flour; a very small teaspoon of baking powder. Add a little milk-about a tablespoon, to make the mixture of biscuit consistency. Put half the mixture in a sandwich tin, cover with the berries -- loganberries and raspberries, could be used. Sprinkle with castor sugar, add the rest of the sponge mixture, and bake in a moderate oven about ¥% of an hour. Beat the egg whites very stiff, with a little sugar,.and flavouring, and when cake comes out of the oven, spread with this meringue mixture. Put it back in the oven to sét. Strawberry Cheese Dessert Salad (American) Two cups of hulled, washed strawberries; 6 tablespoons of sugar; 1 dessertipobn of gelatine; 4% cup cold water; % cup of boiling water; 1 tablespoon of lemon juice; 4% teaspoon of salt; 34 cup of pineapple if available; 2-3 cup of cottage pr cream cheese; 42 cup of cream nd top milk, whipped. Cut the strawberries into thin slices, and add the ‘sugar. Soak the gelatine in the cold water, then add the boiling water, and stir till dissolved. Add the lemon juice, salt, pineapple, and sugared strawberries. Chill until it begins to thicken, then add the cheese and beat with an egg beater till well mixed. Fold in the cream and turn into a mould to set. Unmould on to lettuce, decorate with | whole strawberries, and serve with lemon cream dressing. If using crushed or tinned pineapple, or juicy pineapple, a little more gelatine may be needed. _ Lemon Cream Dressing: Three tablespoons of lemon juice; 3 tablespoons of

sugar; 1 well-beaten egg; 1 cup cream or top milk, whipped. Combine lemon juice, sugar and egg in a double boiler, and cook over hot, but not boiling, water. Cook until thick. Chill, and mix in the whipped cream. Serve on fruit salads. Strawberry Chateau Bring 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the boil. Thicken with 1 tablespoon of cornflour, boil for 2 minutes, and set aside to cool. Add 1 cup of crushed strawberries, a few drops of cochineal, and the stiffly beaten whites of 2 eggs. Beat all together till light and fluffy, and set in a mould. Decorate with berries and cream. Strawberry Jelly De Luxe Make up 1 packet of strawberry jelly crystals; and 1 packet of lemon jelly crystals, and let them cool in separate dishes. Then make a shortcake by beating well 44lb. of butter; 4% cup of sugar; adding 1 egg; then 1 cup of flour with 2 teaspoon of baking powder. Knead well, and roll out % of an inch thick. Bake about 20 minutes till nice and crisp. Let it cool on a board. When the jelly is almost set, whip up the strawberry one until frothy, and* pour over the shortcake. Then spread on some fresh sttawberries. Beat up the lemon jelly and pour over the strawberries, and leave it all to set. Next day decorate with whipped or mock cream, and sprinkle with nuts. ' Strawberry Meringue One dessertspoon of butter; 1 tablespoon of sugar; 1 cup of breadcrumbs; 2 eggs-yolks and whites separated; 1 pint of milk;~1 teaspoon grated lemon rind; and some strawberries. Cream the but-. ter and sugar well, add the yolks and beat. Add the breadcrumbs which were soaked in the milk, and the lemon rind. Pour into a greased dish, bake in a moderate oven till set. Roll the strawberries in icing sugar, and put on top. Then whip the egg whites with 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar, pile on top, and brown in the oven. Decorate with extra strawberries, and serve hot or cold.