There is nothing better than fresh strawberries in summer. Fresh out of the fridge after a quick chill. My grandmother used to cut them up for me and my cousins when we were kids and sprinkle them with sugar. My dad also loves strawberries, and loves having strawberry shortcake each summer. Since it’s fathers day this weekend, I decided to make one of my very favorite strawberry recipes. My strawberries and cream with caramel sugar, maple whipped cream, and fresh basil. From my garden!

Fresh Summer Strawberries

A few years ago I visited the farmers market and picked up a pint of strawberries. That familiar turquoise cardboard container that looks so beautiful paired with the vibrant red berries. I scoured their selection for the plumpest, reddest ones, and took them home. In a total fluke and an experiment, I decided to make a very upscale version of strawberries and cream. I was excited to use my new black plates. So I spread a thin layer of velvety whipped cream, infused with maple, and placed strawberries on top.

I placed them point-side up and then sprinkled caramel sugar liberally over the top through a fine-mesh strainer. The caramel sugar was mostly an experiment. It’s kind of akin to maple sugar, with a deeply caramelized flavor and a fine, powdery texture. It was simply a hard caramel that I crushed up into shards and blended. After a while it became sticky and hard to use, so I passed it through a strainer and watched it fall onto the red mountains of strawberries. It also covered the white cream and created a sort of creme brûlée-like shell.

Farmers Market Shopping

I finished my recipe by garnishing it with fresh basil, also from the farmers market. And I dug in. I remember it being so delicious. Fresh. Tart. Balanced. I was enthralled with it, and vowed to make it again. I tried to turn it into a cake once, for my birthday, and have made it most years since during strawberry season. So this year I was delighted when those familiar strawberries popped up at the farmers market.

I woke up Thursday especially tired and grumpy and moseyed to the town square in my car. I parked across the street and threw my hand up at an impatient driver who nearly ran me over in the crosswalk. My trip to the market was quicker than usual. I perused the stalls, a couple more popping up for the season now. And I got my mom her favorite chicken salad. Then, I went to my favorite farm stand.

Strawberries and Cream Recipes

They still had fresh rhubarb. Bright red and green stalks wrapped in rubber bands in wicker baskets. Next to them was a tray full of strawberry boxes. My favorite light blue turquoise cardboard with the ventilation holes on the sides. I painted a basket of strawberries a few years ago, just because I love them so much. So I picked them up and cleaned some cash out of my wallet. I chose the one that called to me with a heart-shaped plump strawberry on top. Then, I drove home.

I couldn’t wait to make my recipe again. Remembering the creme brûlée-like texture of the lightly whipped cream and caramelized sugar topping. I hoped my strawberries would be just as juicy and sweet as previous years. So, I started my strawberries and cream with high hopes. I did a quick google search for strawberries and cream to get some inspiration. And it dawned on me that strawberries and cream is the signature dish of my favorite tennis tournament, Wimbledon.

Tennis + Strawberries

I’ve been enthralled watching tennis lately. I dreamed of being a professional tennis player when I was little. I also played tennis every day, and took lessons from the time I was about 5. My beloved coach, who just passed away, told my parents I was a prodigy, and treated me like gold. I have such fond memories of her. And my mom loves watching tennis, so she introduced me to my favorite sport at a young age.

I remember watching Federer vs. Nadal on TV when I was young. In July. It was an epic 5-set match that was probably the greatest tennis match ever. Last weekend I watched the final of the French Open. Carlos Alcaraz, my favorite player now, ended up winning the match in 5 sets, and nearly set the record for the longest final ever. He won even after having 3 match points against him and losing the first 2 sets. So it was a mind-blowing. And I’ve been so excited to watch Wimbledon at the end of this month.

Wimbledon Strawberries and Cream

If you aren’t familiar with Wimbledon, it’s the fanciest tennis tournament, held on grass courts in England. The British royals usually attend. All the players wear white. And the signature food served there is strawberries and cream. Very lightly whipped cream poured over fresh berries, in cardboard boxes. I look at them every year with big eyes, so they were a big inspiration for my recipe this week. Mine is a really a simple recipe – mostly just strawberries and cream. But with the addition of caramel sugar and maple syrup, it becomes heavenly.

I started my recipe by washing the beautiful red berries in the sink. Then, I began my caramel recipe. It’s just sugar and a little water cooked over high heat until bubbly. Then, when it turns amber, I take it slightly further to develop a deep complex flavor. I poured my caramel onto my silicone mat and let it harden while I had lunch. I also sprinkled it with a little bit of sea salt for flavor. And after only 10 or 15 minutes, it hardened.

Making Caramel Sugar

So, all I had to do was crack my hard caramel into shards. Beautiful transparent orange sugar glass. Then, I pulsed it in my stick blender with a little bit of cornstarch to keep it from being too sticky. Because the caramel sugar is cooked, unlike regular sugar, it has a tacky quality, like maple sugar. So, adding cornstarch makes it a little more like powdered sugar and keeps the sugar granules separate. My sugar actually got less sticky over the course of a day.

All I had to do was cut my strawberries and whip my cream. I really like a very lightly whipped cream, like they serve at Wimbledon. Mine is a little thicker, more like a light mousse, and is infused with maple syrup. I also threw in some of my caramel sugar for sweetness and depth and whipped it up carefully until it was just lightly thickened. Like a cloud of off-white mousse. I spread it on the bottom of my black plate and placed my strawberry slices on top.

Plating My Recipe

All that was left to do was sprinkle on my beautiful caramel sugar. So, I poured a bit of my sugar into a fine strainer and tapped it gently to cascade a golden cloud of sugar over the top of the strawberries and cream. Coating the white cream in an orange candy crown and glistening the top of my strawberry slices with a slick of syrup. I was so happy with it, just like a few years ago. And I couldn’t wait to try it.

But I realized then that I forgot basil! So, I gleefully went outside and visited my little vegetable and herb pots, which I planted a few weeks ago. Every day I get up and rush to the porch to check on them. Lately most of my basil has been growing beautifully in little clusters of baby green leaves. But I’ve already had a few big, proud leaves spring up. So, I snipped a few leaves and garnished my strawberries and cream. Basking in the hot sun for a moment and feeling proud of my herb garden.

Caramel Whipped Cream + Strawberries

All that was left to do was eat! I scraped my spoon through the soft cream and picked up a strawberry on the way. My spoon was covered in the perfect bite – plump white caramel cream and the perfect, glistening strawberry slice. I took a bite and instantly remembered that prodigal flavor. The tartness paired with the sweetness. The caramelized bitterness. And the fresh basil. The texture of the whipped cream is so silky and cloud-like. And the strawberries are so sweet and tender.

Father’s Day

I’ll be saving some strawberries and cream for my dad to have on Father’s Day. And we might even heat up some biscuits to make strawberry shortcake. He loves caramel too, so I’m excited for him to try this spin on the classic recipe. It’s truly one of my favorite recipes that I look forward to each year. And it goes to show you that the best recipes don’t need to be complex or time consuming! I can’t wait to dig into more strawberries this summer, with fresh cream. One day I can’t wait to go to Wimbledon and try the strawberries and cream for myself!

Thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recipes and paintings, be sure to check out my Etsy store for 100’s of art prints and recipe cards. Make sure to use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off!

Print Pin

Strawberries and Cream

Fresh summer strawberries with lightly whipped maple cream and caramel sugar

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, British

Keyword strawberries

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh strawberries
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp real maple syrup
• Fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

• De-stem and wash strawberries. Dry with a kitchen towel.
• Mix sugar and water in a medium pot and cook over high heat until bubbly. Once the syrup begins to darken in color, watch carefully until it turns into a deep gold color. Remove from heat.
• Pour caramel onto a nonstick silicone mat and sprinkle with sea salt. Let rest for at least 15 minutes until fully hardened.
• Once cool, smash your caramel into shards with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Put caramel shards into a food processor with cornstarch and blend until powdery. Transfer to a bowl.
• In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream with maple syrup, by hand, until very light peaks form. Add 2 tbsp of your caramel sugar and mix to combine.
• To plate, spread a generous circle of whipped cream on plate. Slice strawberries into round discs and places them on top of the cream.
• Then, sprinkle your caramel sugar generously over the top, using a fine-mesh strainer to remove clumps. Garnish with fresh basil.

Notes

• If your caramel sugar becomes hard and sticky, cover and place in a dry spot for a few hours to dehydrate. Do not store your sugar in the fridge!
• If your sugar clumps up a lot, place it back in the food processor for a few seconds. Or, place in a zip bag and close. Then, bang with a rolling pin or mallet. 
• You can also add more cornstarch to your sugar to prevent sticking and clumping if your house is especially humid. 
• No matter how clumpy your caramel sugar gets, you can always pass it through a strainer and tap to release the fine granules. But don’t worry about adding thicker granules to your strawberries – the crunch is really delightful!
• You can use Turbinado or Demerara sugar to top your strawberries if you don’t have time to make your own caramel.