Strawberries and Cream Bars

If only you could see the dreamy picture of these in the latest issue of Everyday Food. My picture just doesn't do it justice. In the magazine these are absolutely dreamy looking. High and cloud-like. I knew these would be the way I would use the rest of my freshly-picked strawberries.

The base is just a strawberry puree that is treated like a granita- scraped with a fork, until slushy. The top is a meringue/whipped cream mixture that really does remind me of a cloud. Soft and smooth.

Everyone in my family liked these bars. The only problem I had was that they were impossible to cut into squares directly from the freezer. I had to let them sit for a couple of minutes and soften a bit, so I could cut them. The strawberry layer also gets really hard if you prepare them in advance. We ended up letting them soften a little bit and then mixing them together in our individual bowls.

Strawberries and Cream Bars
adapted from Everyday Food

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled, halved if large (6 cups)

1 1/2 cups sugar

coarse salt

7 large egg whites

2/3 cup cold heavy cream

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a blender, combine the strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. Puree until smooth. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Transfer to freezer. Every 30 minutes, for 2 hours, scrape the fruit mixture with a fork until it’s thick and slushy. Smooth top with a rubber spatula.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on high until foamy. With mixer on medium, gradually add 3/4 cup sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 3 minutes.

In another bowl, whip the cream and vanilla until you have stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the cream into the egg white mixture. Pour the cream mixture over the fruit mixture and smooth the top. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours (or covered, up to three days), before cutting into 12 squares.

Serves: 12