Some dads love their pinks in this world of machismo, and some of us love a man in touch with their feminine sides. Or perhaps the dad in question is inexplicably in love with the flavor or the fruit strawberry? What better way to show your appreciation and love than by baking or preparing a bunch of strawberry desserts for him that he can eat right away? Here are some instant dessert recipes featuring strawberries, to get you started.
1. Strawberry Mousse
Ingredients
- 450 gm strawberries (chopped into small pieces)
- 25 gm sugar
- 200 gm whipping cream
Instructions
- Take a small saucepan, spoon a tablespoon of water, the strawberries and sugar. Simmer on medium to low heat and cook them. The strawberries will break down and will release their juice.
- Once that happens, remove it from heat, let it cool, transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Now, take a metal bowl that has been chilled in the freezer for a while. Add the whipping cream to it and whip on high intensity, until peaks form.
- Scoop out some of the whipped cream for later. Then fold the strawberry puree into the metal bowl. Both are cold and smooth so the strawberry should fold in seamlessly.
- Divide into serving cups, for your hamper, too with the whipped cream you had scooped out before and put the lid on.
2. Strawberry Cookies
(Makes 18 cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 115 gm granulated sugar (+ 2 tablespoons extra)
- 225 gm all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 145 gm fresh strawberries (chopped into chunks)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, grab a cookie sheet or two and line with parchment paper. If you use one sheet you'll have to bake multiple times.
- Take a bowl and add the oil, lemon juice, egg, vanilla and sugar. Mix until it's combined well.
- Next, add the flour, and baking powder into the bowl and combine. Add the strawberries next and give a gentle mix.
- Your cookie dough is ready, now scoop golf-ball-sized portions of the dough and arrange on the prepared cookie sheets. Keep ample space between each. Sprinkle sugar on top of each of them.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat once done and let them cool before packing for your gift.
3. Strawberry Muffins
(Makes 8 muffins)
Ingredients
- 120 ml milk
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 220 gm all-purpose flour
- 100 gm white sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 160 gm chopped strawberries (cut down to small chunks)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C, and while that happens, take an eight-cup muffin tray, grease it and insert paper liners into them
- Take a bowl and beat the egg with the oil and milk until combined.
- In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt then toss in the strawberries to coat them in this mixture. Add the milk-egg-oil liquid into this bowl and give it a mix to combine.
- Pour the batter into the lined muffin tray. Fill only ¾ of the cups.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes and poke the tops to see if they bounce back. Also, do the toothpick test, poke one into the centre of a muffin and if there are no crumbs, it's done.
- Let the muffins cool outside before packing them.
4. Strawberry Cheesecake Jars
Ingredients
- 225 gm digestive biscuits (crumbled)
- 30 gm chopped nuts
- 320 gm fresh strawberries
- 35 gm dry berries
- 450 gm cream cheese (room temperature)
- 180 ml Greek yoghurt
- 60 gm powdered sugar
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix the chopped nuts of your choice with the digestive crumbs and keep for later.
- You need dehydrated berries for this step, reserve 2 tablespoons aside for garnish. Like the digestive biscuits, crush them to get berry crumbs. Skip this step if you can't find or don't have this at hand.
- Take a bowl, add the cream cheese and using an electric whisk, to it and beat to get a fluffy and smooth texture. Add the Greek yoghurt next and beat for a couple of minutes. Next add the crushed berries, sugar, and salt and combine them. Set aside.
- Take a blender now, add the fresh strawberries and the 2 tablespoons of the dried berries earlier. You can chop them to make blending easier. Blend, don't puree all the way, a little chunky makes for a great texture and mouthfeel.
- Bring out your small dessert jars and equally divide the nutty digestive biscuit crumbs. Then add the berry-cream mixture next dividing equally.
- Top with the strawberry puree and your jars are done. Refrigerate them until ready to give.