Is it just us, or is a big bowl of strawberries and cream one of the simplest yet most indulgent puds going? Whether you like to pour single cream over your juicy strawberries, or dollop on mounds of whipped cream, there is no denying that it’s a winning combo. In fact it’s one that is said to date back to 1509, first enjoyed at the Royal banquets of Henry VIII. The chefs, feeding up to 600 guests, needed a course that required little or no cooking! Well, we have put a modern day twist on that idea and now these gorgeous flavours can be enjoyed instantly with our Strawberries and Cream tea blend.  

How to Enjoy Strawberries & Cream

Did you see the ‘Paul Hollywood Eats’ programme last year where he travelled to Japan to taste the world’s most expensive strawberry? The Great British Bake Off star tucked into a £350 ‘Bijin-hime’ strawberry, (meaning beautiful princess), which is said to deserve its price tag due to its size, sweetness, shine, fragrance and colour.  Here in Dorset we are surrounded by great places to go and ‘pick your own’ and thankfully we are very happy with the more moderately priced juicy berries that are made extra scrummy by the Dorset sunshine. We love heading off to our local farms to load up on punnets of strawberries. Sopley Farm near Christchurch is one of our favourite places to go. They have loads of PYO fruits, veggies and flowers and a really great bakery and farm shop too!  If we manage not to scoff the lot before we get them home, we add them to smoothies, puddings and breakfast bowls but our all time favourite is still simply with cream!  If this pud is one of your faves too, and you’re keen to try out the delicious flavour combination in some slightly different ways then look no further… here are our top picks for a summer of strawberries and cream!

Strawberry Themed Picnic

We were inspired by the beautiful images on Instagram by photographer, Kyle Campbell (@suddenjourneys). Why not create your very own strawberry themed picnic? Serve bowls of strawberries and cream, scones and a beautiful sponge cake using strawberry compote to slather between the layers. You could even decorate your platters and place settings with edible flowers or, like Kyle, use your own blooms from around the garden. Beautiful! Serve with our Strawberries and Cream tea. Simply add one bag per person to a cup, mug or teapot, infuse with freshly boiled water for 3-5 minutes and enjoy!

Strawberries and Cream Jelly

Jelly is so easy to make and by creating your own you can add all sorts of flavour combinations. We used our tea bags to produce a light, summery jelly that would be perfect to serve after a relaxed alfresco lunch.

Ingredients

4 x Strawberries and Cream tea bags

750ml boiling water

60g caster sugar

1tbs gelatine powder

Fresh or frozen berries (optional)

Method

• Put the tea bags into a heatproof bowl or jug and add the boiling water and sugar.
• Stir to dissolve the sugar, being careful not to damage the teabags. Set aside for 5 minutes to infuse.
• Remove the teabags. Add the gelatine to the tea and whisk well to dissolve, leave to settle for a couple of minutes.
• Pour the jelly into 6 individual glasses or ramekin dishes. (First you could add a few fresh or thawed frozen berries and pour the jelly over the top).
• Refrigerate until set (approx 2-4 hour).
• Serve and enjoy!

You could also use this jelly to create a delicious trifle! Simply layer sponge fingers in a bowl, pour over your jelly and allow to set in the fridge. Now add custard and allow that to cool and set. Next, spoon chopped strawberries onto the custard and top with whipped cream!

 

 

Strawberries & Cream Iced Tea

We love iced tea – it’s great to serve at BBQs or parties especially if you want to have some non-alcoholic options available. With no added sugar, this is light, refreshing and delicious!

• Add four Strawberries and Cream tag bags to a jug or pitcher
• Cover with freshly boiled water so that it just covers the tea bags
• Allow the tea to infuse for 3-5 minutes
• Top up with fresh water and lots of ice
• Dress with fresh strawberries

You may also like to try our ‘tea-tail’ featured in one of our previous blogs – it uses the same yummy flavours to make a syrup and ice cubes that you put together to create one of the tastiest mocktails we’ve ever tried! 

If you’re feeling inventive and fancy trying to incorporate our strawberries and cream tea into a bake, a drink or a pud we’d love to hear from you. Tag us on instagram (@Dorsetteauk) or tweet us @dorset_tea. Hmm, maybe we should ask Mr Paul Hollywood himself – at £2.79 for 20 bags it will certainly cost him less than a bowl of Bijin-himes!

Hop over to our shop to order your box of yummy tea bags now.