Sablé Biscuits with Strawberry Crémeux and Basil

Manon Lagrève likes to enoy these sablés as a goûter with her children. They’re just as delicious served at a drinks party or as an amuse-bouche for dessert.

INGREDIENTS

For the biscuits
200 g (7 oz) salted butter, at room temperature
100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
1 large egg yolk
250 g (9 oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp salt

For the strawberry crémeux
200 g (7 oz) strawberries, hulled
50 g (13% oz/½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
1 sheet of gelatine (or ½ tsp powdered gelatine)
100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) double (heavy) cream

To serve
100 g (3½ oz) strawberries, sliced Basil leaves, finely chopped icing (powdered) sugar

METHOD

First, make the biscuits. Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl for a couple of minutes until pale, either by hand or with a hand mixer, then beat in the egg yolk and then the flour and salt. Bring together into a dough, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F/Gas 4) and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Once chilled, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 3-4 mm (1/8 inch) thick and cut out 6-7 cm (2%-23% in) rounds with a pastry cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To make the crémeux, put the strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth. Combine the strawberry purée, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and warm gently.

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl and then slowly whisk in the strawberry mixture. Return the pan to the heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Meanwhile, soften the gelatine in a little cold water for a few minutes, then squeeze it out and add it to the crémeux. Finish the crémeux by adding the double cream, then transfer to a piping (pastry) bag.

To assemble, pipe the crémeux onto the biscuits and top with some diced strawberries and basil, then dust with icing sugar.