Berry Good Desserts

Today's desserts all have berries as an ingredient, making them Berry Good Desserts. Check out the Mascarpone Berry Bowl, the Easy Cherry Cobbler, and the rest of today's yummy desserts. Enjoy!

Note: Will be taking next week off.

FRESH BERRY TART WITH TOASTED NUT CRUST

This recipe is from the July 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “A crumbly homemade nut crust sets this tart apart from other berry pies. It can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.”

Ingredients

Crust

1/4 cup each almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

6 Tbs. chilled unsalted butter, diced

1 large egg yolk

Filling

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbs. light brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. grated orange zest

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 Tbs. orange juice

Ingredients

To make Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch tart pan with cooking spray. Spread nuts on baking sheet, and toast in oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.

Pulse nuts, flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until nuts are ground to powder. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk, and pulse until moist clumps form. Press dough into bottom and sides of prepared pan, about 1/4-inch thick, and pierce with fork. Freeze 30 minutes.

Adjust oven temperature to 400°F. Bake Crust 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden. Cool.

To make Filling: whisk together sour cream, yogurt, brown sugar, vanilla, and orange zest in small bowl. Toss berries with orange juice in separate bowl. 
5. Spread sour cream mixture in Crust with spatula. Spoon berries over top a little at a time, until sour cream mixture is evenly covered. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 288; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 9 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g; Cholesterol: 58 mg; Sodium: 87 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 13 g

BLUEBERRY CRISP

This is from Genevieve Ko in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Genevieve wrote, "Fragrant with the sunshine of lemon zest, the crackly almond roof of this summer-in-a-dish dessert gives way to jammy berries begging to be swirled with ice cream. To make this dead simple treat even easier, the crisp topping is simply stirred with melted butter, which binds together the dry ingredients while giving the mixture a sturdiness that holds up against the juicy fruit. Sliced almonds require no chopping and add a delicate crunch, but chopped pecans would be delicious here too, as would pinches of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or even black pepper. The topping can be refrigerated for up to 3 days ahead of time. Pro potluck tip: Ask the host if you can use the oven, and if you can, bring the berry mixture in the baking dish and the chilled topping in a separate container. When you arrive, scatter the crumbs over the filling and bake to perfume the house and enjoy a warm dessert."

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 servings

This was featured in "A Summer Dinner Party That’s Actually Fast and Easy", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024462-blueberry-crisp.

Ingredients

For the Topping

1 lemon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted if you’d like

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1-1/2 packed tablespoons cornstarch

2 to 2-1/4 pounds blueberries

Ice cream, for serving

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare the topping: Zest the lemon directly over the sugar in a medium bowl and mix with a fork. (Save the zested lemon for the filling.) Mix in the flour, almonds and salt.

The cooled melted butter has likely separated, so stir it until evenly pale yellow, then drizzle over the dry ingredients. Stir lightly and quickly until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbles with gravelly bits; don’t overmix. Refrigerate until ready to use. The topping can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Make the filling: Whisk the sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl to break up starchy clumps. Add the blueberries and squeeze in 1 tablespoon lemon juice from the reserved zested lemon. Toss until evenly coated, then scrape into a 1-1.2- to 2-quart casserole (such as a 9-inch square dish or deep-dish pie plate).

Spread the berry filling in an even layer, then cover with the topping, leaving no gaps. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling like lava, 40 to 45 minutes. You don’t want to burn your mouth eating the crisp hot, so let it cool for at least 15 minutes and preferably an hour or so because the filling firms up as it cools. It can be served warm or at room temperature, ideally with ice cream.

CRANBERRY PIE



My dad loved to cook, and usually came up with decent recipes. He sent this one in a letter dated “18 No 79”. He wrote, “Here is a recipe for a pie. 1st the way it was in the paper and the way I made it.” (It can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking, which will be pulled off and/or drastically improved after the June 1, 2024.)



Note: The pie can be made with either one crust (second photo) or two (top photo). The recipe originally calls for one crust, though.

Ingredients

2 T cornstarch

1 C sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T butter

2 C cranberries

Pie crust

Directions

Blend 1st four ingredients & cook in double boiler until thick. Add next 3 ingredients & cook 10 minutes. Put in pie shell & bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, covering pie with foil for the first 10-15 minutes. (Crust can be any kind you want, whether double crust or simply a bottom crust.)

VARIATION

Ingredients

2 Tbls cornstarch

3/4 C honey + 1/4 C molasses

1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T margarine

1-1/2 C cranberries + 1 C canned cranberries (kind with berries in sauce)

Pie crust

Directions

Make as above.

RASPBERRY CHILL

This is from the May, 2004 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 26. It begins, "This snappy, user-friendly recipe comes together in just minutes, providing a cooling bite for a heated main course. To gild the lily, garnish this sweet with fresh raspberries since they are coming into season. Offer this with a fruity herbed tea and vanilla cookies." Makes 4 servings

You can view this online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/raspberry-chill/.

Ingredients

2 cups frozen raspberries

1 1-lb. pkg. lite silken tofu

1/4 cup vanilla soymilk

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1 pint fresh raspberries for garnish

1/2 cup crushed pecans for garnish

Directions

Put frozen raspberries, tofu, soymilk and brown rice syrup in blender, and process until smooth. 2. Pour or spoon into serving dish or individual compotes, and garnish with raspberries and pecans before serving.

MASCARPONE BERRY BOWL

This is from Ree Drummond on the Food Network.

Active Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 2 to 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/mascarpone-berry-bowl-12343050.

Ingredients

1 cup mixed berries, such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries

1 lemon, zested and juiced

5 tablespoons honey

One 8-ounce container mascarpone

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Splash of vanilla extract

Fresh mint leaves, for serving

Biscotti, for serving

Directions

Mix the berries, lemon zest and juice and 2 tablespoons of the honey in a bowl; set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the mascarpone, heavy cream, vanilla and remaining 3 tablespoons honey. Using a hand mixer, whip together until light and fluffy.

Divide the sweetened mascarpone among 4 serving bowls. Use the bottom of a spoon to create a well in the middle of each mascarpone mound. Spoon the berry mixture into each well. Garnish with a sprig of mint on top of the berries and a biscotti on the side.

EASY CHERRY COBBLER

This is from Leah Maroney at the Spruce Eats. For this yummy recipes, Leah wrote, "Cherry cobbler is a quick and easy cherry dessert. It’s a delicious dessert that's somewhere in between a cake and a pie and easier to make than both. Canned cherry pie filling is spooned on top of a quick and easy batter before it’s all cooked in a cast-iron skillet in the oven. You can use fresh cherries if they're available, making your own pie filling. The cherries sink to the bottom as the batter bakes and creates a cobbler.

"It’s quick to mix up and bake and everyone will love this easy dessert any time of year. It’s especially tasty served warm and topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Makes 6 to 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/upside-down-cherry-cobbler-recipe-304727.

Ingredients

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) salted butter, more for the skillet

1 cup milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F. Generously butter a medium cast-iron skillet, cake, or pie pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Combine the melted butter with the milk, egg, and vanilla extract.

Add 3/4 cup of sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt to the egg-milk-vanilla mixture. Whisk to combine and make a fairly smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared skillet.

Pour the cherry pie filling all over the top of the batter.

Bake until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup sugar over the top of the cobbler.

Continue baking until the sugar is crisped and the filling is bubbly, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Tip

If you decide to make your own filling and you have fresh cherries, check out the best way to pit fresh cherries.

Recipe Variations

You can make this recipe with cherry pie filling (as we did above) or you can try your hand at making your own cherry pie filling using fresh cherries.

You can also make this recipe using other pie fillings; try a strawberry filling or blueberry filling.

How to Store and Freeze

This cobbler can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to two days. Or store it in the refrigerator for up to four days.

You can freeze this recipe in an aluminum pan (which can be the same one you cooked the cobbler in). Just cover with foil once cooled and freeze. Reheat in a preheated oven until warmed through and serve.

What's the difference between cherry pie and cherry cobbler?

Both cherry pie and cherry cobbler contain cherry pie filling. Cherry pie has at least one thin, flaky crust and often has two, the second being a lattice crust on top. Cherry cobbler contains cherry pie filling and then is topped with a cake-like batter that bakes up fluffy and golden brown. Cherry cobbler takes less time to make, but they both are delicious cherry recipes.

CHERRY PIE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "In this classic and adaptable cherry pie recipe, you can use either sour cherries or sweet ones, fresh or frozen. Lemon zest and juice are mixed with the sweet cherries to add brightness and tang. But you can skip this step with sour cherries, which have their own natural acidity. Serve this pie warm or at room temperature, preferably within 24 hours of baking for the flakiest crust. Ice cream or whipped cream are optional, but very nice with the syrupy filling."

Time: About 2 hours, plus 3 hours' chilling and cooling; Yield: 8 servings

This was featured in "A Cherry Pie That’s as Sweet (or Sour) as You Want It to Be", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024323-cherry-pie.

Ingredients

For the Pie Dough

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 to 7 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

For the Filling

1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons instant tapioca

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom

2 pounds sour or sweet cherries (about 6 cups), pitted (or 20 ounces pitted frozen cherries)

1 lemon (optional)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

Make the crust: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a food processor, whisk or pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter.

If using a bowl, toss with your hands until the butter pieces are well coated with flour. Cut the butter into the flour by pressing the pieces between your fingertips, flattening the cubes into big flakes and continuing to toss them in the flour to recoat the flakes. If using a food processor, pulse butter into the flour until the pieces are about the size of lima beans.

Mix or pulse in 3 tablespoons ice water, tossing it with the flour in the bowl if working by hand. Continue to add ice water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, pulsing briefly or tossing well, until the dough begins to come together. Press the dough together if working by hand.

Form the dough into two disks about 1-inch thick. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days before using. (It can also be frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed overnight in the refrigerator.)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack.

Make the filling: In a bowl of a food processor (you don’t have to wash it out if you used it for the dough), combine sugar (use 1/2 cup for sweet cherries and up to 1 cup for sour cherries), tapioca (use more for a thicker, solid filling, and less for looser, juicier filling), and cinnamon or cardamom. Run the motor until tapioca is finely ground.

Place cherries in a large bowl, and add sugar and tapioca mixture. Toss gently to combine. If using sweet cherries, zest the lemon into the bowl, then squeeze in the juice and toss well. (Sour cherries don’t need the extra acidity, so skip this if using.)

Using a rolling pin, roll out one disk of the dough on a lightly floured surface and into a 12-inch round, about 3/8-inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate, preferably metal for the crunchiest crust. Roll remaining dough for the top crust into an 11-inch round.

Pour the cherry mixture into the crust and top with the remaining round of dough. Press the edges together, trim the excess dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers or press down with the tines of a fork. Cut a few steam vents in the center of the pie.

Brush the top crust with cream and sprinkle generously with Demerara sugar. Carefully place pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake until the crust is dark golden brown and the filling bubbles up, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours, allowing the filling to set before serving.

Comments

Popular Posts