Summer recipe: Prosecco-soaked strawberries

Today we have a guest post from Antonia Aitken, who is sharing with us a gorgeous summer recipe!

Hello! Let's flop on the grass, pop on the kettle and just wait for it to sing, shall we? What do you know - and I say this with only a smidgen of staggered surprise - British summer 2014 has really been quite lovely so far. That is not to say that we have not had our rainy spells, or those anxious stretches which make us think that week in April really is all we get. 

This combination of good ol' British rain plus fabulous sunshine has not only made our hearts feel light, but it's also made our gardens and allotments bloom. And the cream of the summer crop, for me, has to be the strawberry: glossy red, gleaming and totally jewel-like in their protective beds of hay.

Bringing home the last of the allotment's fruity bounty, I ponder on 'tasty somethings'. Strawberries sliced over my breakfast cereal, perhaps? Or super quick strawberry banana ice cream (just give me a nudge and I'll share). Or maybe I should freeze them and bring them out on a misty November morn to plop into bowls of thick, cream-swirled porridge?

Today I make Prosecco-soaked strawberries. And if that's not wickedly perfect enough, I cover them in chocolate too!

Ingredients

250g (or 1 punnet) fat strawberries
Bottle of Prosecco or Champagne
200g bar dark chocolate
1 tbsp double cream

Recipe

1. Wash the strawberries, leaving their green stems attached, before finding yourself a large kilner jar. Drop in each ruby berry, before gleefully popping open the bottle of fizz.

(It's worth saying that your choice of bubbles is, of course, entirely dependent on how happy your piggy bank is feeling. I did even get to pondering whether a lovely Elderflower Pressé would do the job, whilst having the added option of being alcohol-free? Let me know if you try it!)

2. Listening out for the happy, effervescent whish, pour in the Prosecco and then screw on the kilner jar lid. Proudly leave it to sit in your fridge for 24 hours.

3. Taking the strawberries out of the jar and patting them dry, it is the chef's prerogative to tip the remaining strawberry-infused Prosecco into a glass and enjoy.

4. Melt the chocolate - dark for me, milk for my friend - in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water, then carefully swirl in the tablespoon of cream.

5. Holding the bubbly strawberries by their green tops, swoop them in the chocolate and place them on a sheet of parchment or wax paper.

6. Let them set in the fridge for about an hour, then bring them out to rapturous interest and offers of undying friendship from all.

Enjoy! Love MrsBx

Don't forget to check out DotComGiftShop's bakeware range to create more luxurious homemade treats!