Name: Quick cheat's strawberry mousse
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 500g strawberries hulled and halved, any larger ones quartered; 1 lemon zested and juiced; 100g caster sugar; 150ml mascarpone; 300ml double cream; 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste; 4 gingernut biscuits crushed; small handful of pistachios roughly chopped (optional); freeze-dried strawberries crushed (optional)

Quick cheat's strawberry mousse served in glasses

500g strawberries
hulled and halved, any larger ones quartered
1 lemon
zested and juiced
100g caster sugar
150ml mascarpone
300ml double cream
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

To serve

4 gingernut biscuits
crushed
small handful of pistachios
roughly chopped (optional)
freeze-dried strawberries
crushed (optional)

Method

step 1
Put the strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and 2 tbsp water in a large pan over a medium heat and cook for 5 mins until the fruit has softened. Scrape into a bowl leave to cool. Tip 300g of the mixture into a blender (reserve the rest for later), blitz until smooth and sieve into a jug.
step 2
Whisk the mascarpone in a large bowl to soften, then add the double cream, vanilla bean paste and lemon zest, and whisk again until just starting to thicken. Fold in the blitzed, sieved strawberry purée to combine – it will thicken a bit more. Alternatively, swirl it through so you have layers of compote going through the mousse.Will keep chilled for up to a day.
step 3
Spoon or pipe the mousse into glass tumblers and top with the reserved strawberry compote, the gingernut crumbs, pistachios and dried strawberries, if you like.