Make for Mother's Day: Bavarese Alle Fragole

Last May, I had the happy fortune of traveling around Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna in Italy – both considered powerhouses for gastronomy. I had so many food discoveries about Italian food then, one of which was this decadent dessert called Bavarese alle Fragole. It was light and fruity and it baffled me why this simple yet delectable dessert never made it outside of Italy. It is basically a strawberry cream mousse and when made using stevia, it would be low on the guilt-o-meter. It only takes minutes to prepare and an overnight chilling process, but for the most part, one could prepare this with their eyes closed.

I used strawberries because that’s what’s in season at the moment, but what I would really die for is a Philippine mango version of this. If you use fruit that is in season and is ripe, you could actually eliminate using sugar altogether.

It’s a great dessert to serve at a dinner party, but let me share a secret with you. I had it for breakfast this morning.

You will need:

Ripe, plump strawberries, about 400g – or any fruit that is in season

Unflavored gelatin

Heavy whipping cream

Sugar, stevia or honey to taste (optional)

To make:

1 Follow the instructions for preparing your gelatin. I used the ones that come in a little sachet and all I needed to do with that one is sprinkle it in a quarter cup of water and leave it for about five minutes. Afterwards, I then dissolved it in about a half cup of water in low heat. I poured the mixture in a small bowl and chucked it in the fridge to cool it quickly.

2 Whip up your cream with a hand mixer, until it forms soft peaks, continuously for about 7 minutes.

3 Puree strawberries in a blender and transfer to a bowl. Get the gelatin mixture from the fridge and slowly add to the fruit puree, a bit at a time.

4 Fold the whipped cream into the fruit puree. Taste and add sugar or honey to taste, but only if necessary.

5 When thoroughly mixed, pour into either a cake pan, a mold or individual cups. Chill overnight.

#food #italy