Saturday, April 10, 2010

End of a season - Summer Strawberry Slice


You know it's the end of Summer when the price of strawberries start to rise. If you can, before this happens, when the days are still warm and only the nights remind us what is just around the corner - make this delicious slice.
There are 3 basic steps and the recipe uses very basic ingredients. It looks spectacular served for morning or afternoon tea and children love it too. It's one of those naughty but nice treats!

If you are making this dish in Summer or indeed on a warm day try and make this in the coolest part of the house, it will just make things easier. Dissolve your strawberry jelly as per packet instructions (I use Aeroplane jelly) then set aside to cool. Don't pop it in the fridge unless it is a very hot day.
Sift 1 cup of flour into a bowl and add 1/2 cup caster sugar and mix well. Rub in 60g cold butter that has been chopped. It should resemble breadcrumbs but try not to work it too much or the heat from your hands will make it stick to you. Add 1 egg that you have lightly beated. Use a spoon to mix forming a dough like consistency. Don't worry if it doesn't come together as now you will press it into a slice tin.
Grab your tin (roughly 17.5cm by 27cm)If there are no marks on your tin you can use as is but I use 2 layers of baking paper (criss cross if that makes sense) so that I can pull the whole slice out with ease. Press the dough into the tin, covering the whole bottom (using some flour on your fingers if need be) and bake at 180C for 20 mins. Take tin out and leave to cool. (This can take 30 - 40 mins)
Meanwhile wash 500grams of strawberries, take the stalks out and slice them up. I place them onto absorbant paper as I do this. When base is cool, throw on your starwberries and press down with your hands (not too hard!) then pour over your cooled jelly and chuck it in the fridge until the jelly is set. Too easy!

Makes 12 squares or 8 rectangle pieces.

If you're making this for morning tea I'd definately make it the night before. However if you were making this for afternoon tea you could start it at 9am and it would be ready to enjoy by 2pm! All you need to serve with it is a wonderful cup of tea. ahhhhh.

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