The summer months in Scotland mean an abundance of outstanding soft fruits.  Soft fruit farming here has seen a steady growth in recent years and it is not difficult to see why the demand is so high.

There is nothing more exciting for a Scottish chef than seeing the first strawberries of the season arrive in the kitchen.  For me, they are second to none. During my 5 years in Australia, I never once put a strawberry dish on any of my menus. Once you have tasted Scottish strawberries then it is very difficult to settle for anything else. We have our wonderful climate to thank for our renowned berries. They thrive in the cooler summers where long daylight hours help them to ripen with plenty of flavour.

There are so many farms across the country where you can pick your own berries. This makes for a really enjoyable family day out and the best part is that you return home with a selection exceptional fruit. Don’t worry, you don’t need to use all of the berries straight away; strawberries can be made into a delicious jam to get you through the colder months and raspberries store amazingly well in the freezer.

If you do have some fresh strawberries on hand, then this recipe is highly recommended. It is a simple recipe with just a few ingredients but it looks stunning served in glasses which showcase the layered effect. All elements of this pudding can be prepared in advance so it is great for a summer dinner party or barbeque. Of course, any fresh berries would work in this recipe so get creative and use whichever selection you have to hand. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

250ml double cream

200g cream cheese

300g white chocolate

Seeds from 1 vanilla pod

12 strawberries

Juice of ¼ lemon

10g caster sugar

Freeze dried strawberries (These are available from most supermarkets and kitchenware shops)

Method

For the cheesecake mixture:

- Whip the double cream till it holds soft peaks

- Gently melt the white chocolate over a bain marie

- Fold the melted white chocolate and vanilla seeds through the cream cheese

- Fold this mixture into the whipped cream

- Pour the mixture into a piping bag

- Store in the fridge until ready to serve

For the strawberries:

- Finely dice 8 of the strawberries, reserving 4 whole strawberries

- Combine the diced strawberries with the lemon juice and caster sugar

- Leave to marinate for at least half an hour so that the juices are released

To serve:

- Divide the diced strawberries among 4 glasses

- Place one whole strawberry in the centre of each glass

- Pipe a layer of the cheesecake mixture over the strawberries

- Top with the freeze dried strawberries

Enjoy!