Summer fruit brulee flavoured with lavender
The flowers are coming out on my lavender bushes, so I'm going to make these desserts this weekend. They are really 'different' tasting!
4-5 sprigs fresh lavender leaves or flowers, or 1 tsp dried lavender flowers
85g caster sugar
1 lemon
450g strawberries
1 mango
250g raspberries
100g granulated sugar
568ml chilled double cream
Place the lavender, caster sugar and 3 strips of finely pared lemon zest in a small saucepan. Add 100ml water and set over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved, then stop stirring. Simmer while you prepare the fruit.
Wash and hull the strawberries. If large, roughly slice and put in a serving dish. Peel and slice the mango and cut into pieces and mix into the strawberries with the raspberries. Mix in the warm syrup, after removing the lemon peel but not the lavender. Put the granulated sugar in a small saucepan with 100ml water. Set over a medium heat and stir occasionally until dissolved, then boil vigorously until it caramelises. As soon as the sugar and water are on the heat, whisk the cream with an electric whisk until it forms soft peaks. Roughly spoon this over the fruit.
Watch the caramel as soon as it begins to colour and remove from the heat as soon as it turns a golden brown. It will continue to darken after it has been removed from the heat. Let the caramel cool for just a minute or so then, holding the pan high over the cream, slowly pour it - moving the pan as you do so - so it forms streaky threads across the cream. It will melt the cream in places and seep through to the fruit. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
Serve with langue du chat biscuits or ratafias.
The flowers are coming out on my lavender bushes, so I'm going to make these desserts this weekend. They are really 'different' tasting!
4-5 sprigs fresh lavender leaves or flowers, or 1 tsp dried lavender flowers
85g caster sugar
1 lemon
450g strawberries
1 mango
250g raspberries
100g granulated sugar
568ml chilled double cream
Place the lavender, caster sugar and 3 strips of finely pared lemon zest in a small saucepan. Add 100ml water and set over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved, then stop stirring. Simmer while you prepare the fruit.
Wash and hull the strawberries. If large, roughly slice and put in a serving dish. Peel and slice the mango and cut into pieces and mix into the strawberries with the raspberries. Mix in the warm syrup, after removing the lemon peel but not the lavender. Put the granulated sugar in a small saucepan with 100ml water. Set over a medium heat and stir occasionally until dissolved, then boil vigorously until it caramelises. As soon as the sugar and water are on the heat, whisk the cream with an electric whisk until it forms soft peaks. Roughly spoon this over the fruit.
Watch the caramel as soon as it begins to colour and remove from the heat as soon as it turns a golden brown. It will continue to darken after it has been removed from the heat. Let the caramel cool for just a minute or so then, holding the pan high over the cream, slowly pour it - moving the pan as you do so - so it forms streaky threads across the cream. It will melt the cream in places and seep through to the fruit. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
Serve with langue du chat biscuits or ratafias.
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