Strawberry Filo Baskets

Strawberries on the menu today! This recipe is the perfect summer dessert, but with a fraction of the calories. Naturally low fat filo replaces stodgy pastry and sweetened low fat crème fraîche is used instead of full fat cream.

It's actually 'National Strawberry Week' this week and there are lots of offers about in the various supermarkets to celebrate. The Bord Bia website: Best In Season.ie has more nutritional information about strawberries and other seasonal fruit and veg. 

The following recipe makes 4 individual baskets.

Ingredients

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 3 large filo pastry sheets. Frozen is best but allow the sheets to defrost in the fridge for about an hour before using. 

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 8 teaspoons of low fat crème fraîche

• 4 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon

• 4 teaspoons of low fat strawberry jam

• 12 small strawberries. Washed and stalks removed

Method

1. Turn the oven to 180°C and spray 4 compartments of a muffin tin with the spray oil. It's best to spread them out on the tray, so don't use adjoining compartments.
2. Lay the three sheets of filo pastry on top of each other on a clean work surface and slice into four equal squares. 
3. To assemble the basket, take one of these squares and place it on the centre of the board. (Store the others under a clean cloth or tea towel until you're ready to use them). Arrange three squares of filo on top of each other as shown in the picture on the right. Carefully transfer to the muffin tin and press lightly into the tray using the end of a rolling pin (ok, using the upturned lid from the spray oil, which was the perfect size!). You can give the sheets a light spray of spray oil if they have dried out on you.
4. Continue the process to make the remaining three baskets. Paint the edges with the beaten egg and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. When done, carefully remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on kitchen paper. (Don't cover them as they will become soft).
5. To serve, mix the crème fraîche and the sweeteners together in a small bowl and stir to combine.
6. Place a teaspoon of jam in the base of the basket, add two teaspoons of sweetened crème fraîche on top. Finally top with the sliced strawberries.