Featuring intensely roasted strawberries and a rich and creamy custard, this Roasted Strawberries and Custard recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and indulgent. The beauty is both of the portions of the recipe can be made ahead before assembling for any occasion.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and substitutions for Roasted Strawberries and Custard
- Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar is best because of how easily it dissolves and adds sweetness without additional flavors to our custard. Raw sugar or light brown sugar are good substitutes, though the result might be a caramel flavor to the custard.
- Milk: Whole milk is the base of this dish, resulting in that creamy custard and is recommended for making the custard as traditional as possible. If you prefer, a creamy dairy free milk would work.
- Cream: Heavy cream was used here as it naturally makes the custard thick, but you could subsitute with pouring cream that will thicken thanks to the flour.
- Flour: Plain or all purpose works best here, though, if you prefer to make gluten free you could replace with cornstarch, also known as cornflour in certain parts of the globe. Cornstarch needs to be heated to 95C/203F before it is activated to thicken.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries were used here because they are plenty in season, however, because you roast them, substituting with frozen would work fine. It is recommended to roast longer to get the full effect of drawing out the moisture in the berries.
- Orange peel: We only need a small piece of the citrus zest to give the strawberries depth and nuance that works perfectly with the overall dessert. This is not essential so you can omit, if preferred.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Roasted Strawberries and Custard:
Step 1: Roast: The strawberries, sugar and vanilla seeds into a baking dish and bake. Then set aside to cool completely.
Step 2: Sugar: Place the sugar and ice water into a saucepan and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and you have a syrup.
Step 3: Warm milk: Heat the milk and lemon peel until lightly bubbly.
Step 4: Flour paste: A set aside portion of milk is combined with the flour to form a paste before whisking in the egg yolks.
Step 5: Heat until thick: The warm milk is added to the egg paste mixture before being heated until thickened.
Step 6: Sugar cream: The sugar syrup is whisked into the custard before the cream is whisked in until thickened.
Step 7: Spoon and serve: Spoon into your serving glasses or bowls and serve warm or ideally, chilled. Dig in!
More custard desserts you'll enjoy
Roasted Strawberries and Custard
Ingredients
Vanilla Roasted Strawberries
- 500 grams / 1 pound strawberries hulled and quartered
- 60 grams / ⅓ cup superfine/caster sugar
- 1 vanilla bean split and seeds scraped
- Peel of 1 orange
Portuguese Custard
- 60 grams / ⅓ cup superfine/caster sugar
- 80 grams / ⅓ cup ice water
- 240 grams / 1 cup milk
- 1 inch piece lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 30 grams / 3 level tablespoons plain flour
- 50 grams / 3 large egg yolks room temperature
- 113 grams / ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Roasted Strawberries
- Preheat the oven to 220C/430F.
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, vanilla bean and orange peel together and cover with aluminum foil tightly.
- Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, you'll know these are done when you can smell them.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Custard
- Meanwhile, place the sugar and water in a saucepan on medium high heat, simmering until a candy thermometer registers 104C/220F, approximately 3 minutes.
- Pour into small bowl and set aside.
- Set aside ¼ of the milk into a medium bowl and pour the remaining milk into a saucepan with the vanilla extract and lemon peel.
- Place on low-medium heat until simmering, remove from the heat and discard the lemon peel.
- Meanwhile, whisk the flour to the remaining milk until smooth.
- Whisk the yolks into the flour paste until well combined and smooth.
- Slowly pour in the hot milk to the paste mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the custard into your saucepan and return to low-medium heat, whisking until the custard sticks on the back of a spoon.
- Whisk in the sugar syrup until smooth.
- Finish by pouring in the cream and whisking until smooth and thickened, approximately 1 minute.
- Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Spoon the custard into a small serving glasses. Top with the roasted strawberries and pour over two tablespoons of the strawberry sauce on top.
- Serve and enjoy warm or cold!
Notes
- Flour: Plain or all purpose works best here, though, if you prefer to make gluten free you could replace with cornstarch, also known as cornflour in certain parts of the globe. Cornstarch needs to be heated to 95C/203F before it is activated to thicken.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries were used here because they are plenty in season, however, because you roast them, substituting with frozen would work fine. It is recommended to roast longer to get the full effect of drawing out the moisture in the berries.
- Orange peel: We only need a small piece of the citrus zest to give the strawberries depth and nuance that works perfectly with the overall dessert. This is not essential so you can omit, if preferred.
- Roast the strawberries ahead: You can roast the strawberries ahead of time and keep covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Best served: This is best served warm or cold, however, if you're not serving, the dessert is best to be kept in the fridge and consume within 1.
Nutrition
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