Ingredients
For the hazelnut shortbread:
4 oz (110 g) hazelnuts
5 oz (150 g) softened butter
2½ oz (60 g) unrefined golden icing sugar, plus extra to serve
2½ oz (60 g) rice flour, sifted (or use dried semolina)
5 oz (150 g) plain flour, sifted, plus a little extra for rolling out
For the strawberry purée:
8 oz (225 g) fresh strawberries, hulled
1 level tablespoon golden caster sugar
For the strawberry filling:
1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, hulled, reserving 8 for decoration
7 fl oz (200 ml) crème fraîche
5 fl oz (150 ml) fresh custard
2 drops vanilla extract
Method
Toast the hazelnuts by spreading them out on a baking tray and placing them in the oven for 5 minutes. Use a timer so they don’t burn.
When cool, grind them to a sand-like consistency in a blender, or chop finely, pop them in a polyethene bag and crush them as finely as possible with a rolling pin.
Cream the butter and icing sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the sifted flours or semolina, followed by the ground hazelnuts.
Bring the mixture together to make a dough. Place this in a polythene food bag and leave it in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes. Then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 5 mm (¼ inch).
Use a 9cm cutter to make 16 rounds of shortbread dough.
Arrange the biscuits on the baking trays and lightly prick each one with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and leave to cool on the trays for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Place the puree fruit in a bowl, sprinkle them with the sugar and leave for 30 minutes. After that, purée them in the food processor, then press them through a nylon sieve to remove the seeds. Cover and set aside.
Whisk the crème fraîche in a mixing bowl with an electric hand whisk until it becomes stiff, then add the custard and vanilla extract and whisk again until thick.
Cover the mixture and chill until just before serving.
Reserve 8 strawberries for decoration. Roughly chop or slice the remainder. Spread equal quantities of the cream mixture over the biscuits, then arrange the strawberry pieces on top of eight. Spoon some purée over each one, then sandwich with the remaining cream-covered rounds.
Now place a reserved strawberry on top of each one and finish off with a light dusting of icing sugar.
