Photo by Julie O’Malley
Strawberry Shortcake
Pastry:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
Pinch salt
100g butter
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
Filling:
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 drops almond essence
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups hulled strawberries, lightly sweetened
1/4 cup apple jelly or redcurrant jelly
1. Sift the flour, sugar and salt together onto a pastry board, make a well in the centre of the flour. Cut the butter into small cubes and add the flour with the egg yolks and orange peel. Knead lightly with the fingertips. Do not overwork – knead only until smooth and manageable. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C.
3. Roll the pastry out lightly into a circle. Place over a lightly greased 23cm flan tin and press into the tin. Prick the base of the pastry several times with a fork. Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow pastry to cool, then remove it carefully from the flan tin.
4. Filling: In a saucepan, beat together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and almond essence until well blended. Heat the milk, add to the mixture in the saucepan in small quantities, beating consistently over low heat until the mixture thickens. Do not allow to boil.
5. Spread filling mixture onto the cooled pastry. Arrange strawberries over the entire surface. Melt the jelly over a low heat, and brush generously over the strawberries.