Ace serves: Three Wimbledon recipes that go beyond strawberries and cream

They have been a staple at Wimbledon for nearly 150 years, but the summer fruit can be more exciting than the traditional serving, says Hannah Twiggs. Up your game and try these delicious strawberry puddings at your next watch party

Strawberries and cream may be a summer staple, but there are so many more delicious pudding recpipes to try (Getty Images)

Ah, Wimbledon. The very name conjures images of lush green courts, the echo of tennis balls crisply struck, the genteel murmur of an appreciative crowd. But beyond the baseline rallies and nail-biting tie-breaks, there’s a tradition as integral to the experience as the sport itself: strawberries and cream. This delightful pairing, as quintessentially British as the tournament, has a storied history that dates back to the very inception of Wimbledon in 1877.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club hosts a fledgling tournament. The strawberries, ripe and ruby-red, are harvested from the fields of Kent, their sweet aroma a herald of the season. These berries, combined with a dollop of thick, velvety cream, quickly become a staple. Each year, as June melts into July, the tournament plays host to a remarkable culinary spectacle. Over 28,000kg of strawberries and 7,000l of cream are consumed by tennis enthusiasts. A sweet counterpoint to the tense, high-stakes drama unfolding on the grass.

Yet, as with all things timeless, there is room for innovation.

That is evident in these strawberry-based recipes that elevate the traditional strawberries and cream to new culinary heights. Take, for instance, the speedy strawberry and lemon grilled pudding. This dish marries the tartness of lemon with the sweetness of strawberries, layered over sponge fingers and caramelised under a grill, offering a warm and inviting dessert that is both sophisticated and comforting.

Then there’s the strawberry marshmallow cheesecake, a dessert that blends the creamy richness of cheesecake with the light, fluffy texture of marshmallow. Topped with roasted almonds and a hint of vanilla, it’s a dessert that captures the essence of summer in every bite. For those who prefer a classic twist, the strawberry shortcakes offer a delightful combination of scones, pistachios and limoncello-infused strawberries, providing a refreshing and elegant treat.

Speedy strawberry and lemon grilled pudding

Plate, set and match – this spongey dish is a crowd pleaser (Sorted)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

12 sponge fingers

1 lemon

400g strawberries

1 tin condensed milk (397g)

150g natural yoghurt

1 handful demerara sugar

1 handful almond flakes, toasted

2 sprigs fresh mint

Method:

1. Preheat a grill to a medium high heat.

2. Grab a shallow baking dish and lay the sponge fingers into a single layer in the bottom. Zest over the lemon and squeeze the juice over the top of the sponge fingers.

3. Hull and quarter the strawberries, mush some of them up with the back of a fork then scatter half of them over the sponge fingers.

4. Whisk together the condensed milk with the yoghurt and pour over the dish. Finish with another layer of strawberries and a generous sprinkling of the demerara sugar.

5. Place the dish under the hot grill and leave to warm through and caramelise the top for about 4-5 minutes. Remove and decorate with some toasted almond flakes and a few leaves of picked mint.

6. Serve immediately and tuck in with family or friends.

Strawberry marshmallow cheesecake

Hit the sweet spot with this twist on a classic cheesecake (Sorted)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the base:

200g shortbread

100g digestive biscuits

80g unsalted butter

2 tbsp strawberry jam

For the almond crumb:

50g blanched almonds, roasted

50g digestive biscuits

50g soft light brown sugar

25g plain flour

60g unsalted butter, chilled

For the cheesecake mix:

100g strawberries

150ml double cream

500g white chocolate

50g unsalted butter

500g cream cheese

For the meringue:

4 large egg whites

300g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod

Method:

1. Blitz the shortbread and digestive biscuits to a fine crumb and melt the butter. Combine the two in a large mixing bowl until the texture is like wet sand. Pack the mix into the bottom of 4 deep 9x9cm rings, making sure it’s level. Put it into the fridge to set.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Blitz the almonds and the digestives to a fine crumb and combine them with the sugar and flour. Add the chilled butter and use your fingertips to combine it with the biscuit mix until you have spread the mix on the baking sheet in an even layer and freeze for 10 minutes.

3. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Once golden brown and crisp, leave the crumb to cool completely. Spread the jam over the cooled base, then spoon the streusel nut mix in each ring and gently press into a layer but do not compress completely like the biscuit layer.

4. Melt the chocolate, butter and vanilla in a bowl in the microwave.

5. Hull the strawberries, add half of them to a mini food processor and blitz (or just mash up with a fork). Mix the strawberries, cream, sugar and the cream cheese together until combined and smooth. Stir the chocolate mix into the cream mixture. Dice the remaining strawberries into small cubes and fold them into the cheesecake mix. Pour the mix into the rings, over the almond crumb. Pull the rings up straight away (the cheesecake mix should be firm enough to hold, but warm enough to slide neatly out. Set in the fridge for an hour or more if making in advance.

6. Add the egg whites and caster sugar to a heat-proof mixing bowl and whisk over a pan of simmering water (making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk until the egg whites are warm and the sugar has dissolved so that the mixture is smooth. Remove the eggs from the heat and whisk using a stand mixer or electric whisk until the meringue is cool and just holds its form.

7. Rest the ring moulds on top of the chilled cheesecake mix, then pipe the meringue into the rings. Carefully lift the rings to get a clean meringue layer with a little ridge all the way around, created when removing the ring.

8. Using a palette knife, smooth out the top of the meringue if you need to. Blowtorch the meringue to brown it all over. Serve a cheesecake per person!

Strawberry shortcakes

Go nuts for this sweet sandwich (Sorted)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the scones:

75g salted butter, chilled and cubed

350g self-raising flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

75g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

1 tsp lemon zest

1 large egg

150ml whole milk

25ml whole milk to glaze

For the fillings:

200g strawberries

25g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

25g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

25ml limoncello

250ml double cream

25g caster sugar

2 tbsp ground pistachio nuts

Method:

1. Preheat an oven to 200C and line a baking tray (you may need two, or two batches) with greaseproof paper.

2. Rub the chilled butter into the flour with your fingertips until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs.

3. Stir through the caster sugar, nuts and lemon zest. Crack in the egg and pour in the 150ml milk then stir to bring it together into one dough.

4. Press into a lump about 2cm deep on a floured surface then cut out 10cm circles with a cutter.

5. Transfer the raw scones onto the lined baking tray and squash the leftover dough into another lump to press out and cut again. Waste nothing! Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk and bake for 10-12 minutes until they have risen, are golden and when tapped from beneath sound hollow.

6. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing in half across the middle, to get a base and a lid.

7. Dice the strawberries and tip them into a mixing bowl with the chopped pistachio nuts and the sugar. Pour in the vanilla extract and the liqueur and leave to soak for 10 minutes.

8. Drain the liquid from the strawberries into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over a high heat. Reduce until it begins to thicken to a syrup, then leave to cool.

9. Whip the cream with the sugar to soft peaks.

10. Spread a generous amount of double cream over the insides of the bases and lids.

11. Top the cream on the bases with the strawberries. Sandwich with the lid then drizzle over the reduced syrup and top with a pinch of ground pistachios.

Recipes from sortedfood.com