Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, stemmed, or one 20 ounce package frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
- 2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 cups crème anglaise, warmed
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Puree the strawberries in a food processor. Use the backside of a ladle to push the puree through a strainer into a large bowl. If you want the strained puree to be perfectly smooth, strain it first through a coarse mesh strainer and then through a fine mesh strainer. Put the gelatin and water in a bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes, or until it swells, or blooms, and absorbs the water. Stir the softened gelatin with a fork to get rid of any lumps.
In a bowl, stir the gelatin into the crème anglaise and continue stirring until it completely dissolves.
Combine the heavy cream with the vanilla and sugar and beat to soft peaks; refrigerate until needed.
Stir the crème anglaise into the strawberry puree. If the mixture feels cool to the tough, work quickly so the gelatin doesn’t set before you add the cream. (If the mixture starts to set, place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir the mixture to warm it and melt the gelatin.) If the mixture is too warm, it will melt the whipped cream, so stir it with a whisk until it feels neither hot nor cold. Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture with a rubber spatula. If you can’t get rid of little pieces of cream by folding, stir with a whisk just long enough to thoroughly combine the mixture.
If you’re serving the Bavarian cream as a dessert, pour it immediately into eight to ten 5 or 6 ounce glasses or ramekins and place in the refrigerator until set.