- 500g/1lb 2oz strawberries, roughly chopped
- icing sugar, to taste
- 115g/4oz butter
- 10 slices white bread
- 200ml/7fl oz double cream
- 200ml/7fl oz milk
- 1 vanilla pod, split in half, seeds scraped out
- 6 free-range eggs, yolks only
- 75g/3oz caster sugar
- clotted cream, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Place a third of the strawberries into a food processor and blend to a purĂŠe with a touch of icing sugar.
- Check the strawberry purĂŠe is sweet enough then place in a bowl with the rest of the strawberries and mix well.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter and cut the crusts off the bread.
- Cut the slices in half, and then each half into four slices to get small fingers.
- Dip each piece of bread in the melted butter and line the moulds, reserving enough bread for the lids.
- Once the moulds are lined, spoon in the strawberries and top with more bread that has been dipped in melted butter.
- Place the charlottes on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden-brown on top.
- For the custard, place the cream and milk into a saucepan along with the vanilla pod and seeds and bring to a gentle simmer for five minutes to infuse.
- Place the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk together until pale and fluffy.
- Pour the hot milk onto the eggs and stir well, then return to the pan and cook, stirring continuously until just thickened.
- Strain the custard through a sieve into a clean pan.
- To serve, remove the charlottes from the oven and set aside to cool slightly, then carefully turn them out onto a four serving plates and serve immediately.
- Serve the charlottes, topped with clotted cream and a spoonful of custard.