Surprise! Ricotta and chocolate strawberries

Sugar High Friday’s theme this month (its 23rd incarnation) is the surprise inside hosted by A Veggie Venture – yummy sweet treats that look deceptively like one thing on the outside and … ta da! … reveal their secret heart on the inside.

A whole range of decadent chocolate fondant-y things sprang to my mind, but as we’re just coming out of winter here down under, and the strawberry season is in full swing, I went for something lighter to suit the warmer temperatures. It might also help the darned zip on that pair of summer trousers that’s having trouble, well, reaching its full vertical potential.

Look at the picture above. Looks just like an ordinary strawberry, yes? Well read on .... there's more to those strawberries than meets the eye.

1-2 punnets of large strawberries
80 grams of ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons of mascarpone or crème fraiche (or low fat fromage frais / fruche if that zip’s really giving you trouble)
1 teaspoon of finely zested lemon rind
1 teaspoon of finely grated chocolate - 70% cocoa solid
2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar

Mix all the ingredients except the strawberries together in a small bowl. Using a sharp knife, cut the top off the strawberries in a straight line about ½ a cemtimetre under the green calyx. Reserve the top. Cut the centre out of the strawberries, being careful not to pierce the outside, so you end up with a hollowed out strawberry. Use a small spoon to fill the strawberries with the ricotta mixture and re-position the top. Lay them on a plate and chill for 30-60 minutes. Serve dusted with vanilla sugar or even drizzled with melted chocolate.


Tag: shf23