Strawberry & vanilla cream sandwich

I do not like to play favourites; being one half of two siblings, I found it often left the unpicked feeling unwanted and unliked, as as the shy recluse, I tended to be the latter.

Saying that, I do have a favourite berry, which is difficult, as berries in general are all beautiful beings, some tart, some sweet, some plump and soft, and some firm and juicy. They, along with cherries, are the 'pin-up's of the fruit world with their vivacious colours and edibility. I love them all and would gladly take any offered (even those undesirable when eaten raw I will find a use for cooked). I would love to be original and say that the burgundy mulberry is my favourite but I'm going to side with the masses and pick the strawberry (both figuratively and literally) as my favourite berry.

If I had to list some reasons here would be a few examples:

• whilst their peak season in Australia is from September to January, they are grown all year round.
• they taste wonderful in all their unadorned rawness, as well as baked or pureed or sliced into sweets.
• they are fairly easy to grow in a pot on my back porch
• I haven't met one person yet who doesn't like them

One thing I do not do is buy frozen strawberries; absolutely horrible things. Whilst other berries freeze with flair, strawberries lose what makes them wonderful. Sinking my baby teeth into a luscious, fragrant strawberry gave me great joy, the same joy is experienced when taking a bite with my giant orthodontic-corrected adult teeth - years have not changed a strawberries taste.

I'm sure strawberries would bring joy to any hour they are eaten, but strawberries at breakfast are truly tantalising.

Like a mille-feuille with a leather jacket and a Harley - the thick, buttery brioche forms the foundation for this tower of carmine and magnolia. The squished berry remnants trickle onto the vanilla flecked, lush cream whilst the icing sugar lovingly powders the three tiers in readiness for it's drooling recipient. A fruit sandwich is sweetness in a conventional package.


Strawberry Sandwich
Makes 6

3 brioche rolls (80g each), cut into 1/2cm thick slices
1/2 cup thick cream
1 1/2 tbs icing sugar, plus extra to serve
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
350gm strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced

Toast brioche slices. Combine cream, 1/2tsp icing sugar and vanilla past in a bowl and whisk until thick.Place strawberries in a bowl, add remaining icing sugar and crush using a fork.
To serve, place 1/3 of brioche on a bench, spread with half the cream and top with half the strawberries. Repeat layering, finishing with a piece of brioche. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 10mins.
total: 10mins.

recipe: 4/5. The buttery brioche, sweetened with powdered sugar dissolves to a hint of vanilla cream before your mouth is filled with the juices of tartly sweet bruised strawberries. Quite light depsite it's other decadent ingredients.
Make sure you do not slice larger than 1cm as you may have trouble opening your mouth wide enough. The only downside; missed strawberry stains on your cheek whilst out in public.

would I make it again: No - it was lovely, but not lusting after another one (and brioche loaves are a little hard to find in my area).