Ingredients
- 150ml / ¼ pint double cream
- 450g / 1lb ready-made puff pastry, thawed if frozen
- 175-225g / 6-8oz seasonal berries, such as halved strawberries, redcurrants, raspberries and blueberries
- icing sugar, for dusting
Method
- Roll out the puff pastry to a rectangle and trim to 23cm/9in x 45cm/18in. Cut this into three 23cm/9in x 15cm/6in rectangles. Place on a damp baking sheet and prick lightly all over with a fork. Chill for 20 minutes to relax the pastry.
- Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 and bake the pastry for 10–12 minutes until risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Neaten the edges by trimming off 1cm/½in all round. Reserve the best rectangle for the top.
- Layer the remaining pieces of pastry with the cream mixture and fruit and finish with the reserved pastry top. Dust liberally with icing sugar. Heat two metal skewers over a hob, then brand in a lattice pattern. Serve chilled in slices.
Notes
The pastry rectangles can be baked the day before you need them; this will make them less brittle and far easier to cut. Leave them to cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to use. Cooking the pastry on a lightly dampened baking sheet creates steam which helps the layers to rise and puff up.