Berries make simple, decadent treats all summer

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Pick these winners: Berries make simple, decadent treats all summer

Thursday, July 13, 2006By Amy McConnell Schaarsmith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

When I was a kid, there were always fresh berries to pick in June, July and

August.

 

(http://www.post-gazette.com/popup.asp?img=http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/2\

0060713jbBerries_450.jpg) John Beale, Post-Gazette photos

Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are a summertime treasure.

Click photo for larger image.

When I was in elementary school, we lived in a small Ohio town, and my dad

planted a row of strawberries as a border between our front yard and our

driveway along Main Street. I'd run out and pick a few glossy, sweet berries

for

my breakfast cereal every morning.

By July, the wild black raspberries and domesticated red raspberries were

starting to ripen at my grandparents' farm in Beaver County, where my dad

returned after he retired from the Air Force. We'd pick pints and pints from

the

bushes as bees buzzed among the canes, our arms scratched and our fingers

stained red from the juice even though we handled them so gently we barely

touched them. And of course I had to sneak some here and there, just to see if

they

were OK to eat -- call it quality control.

And now, we also have plump blueberries ripening, too, and glossy sweet

blackberries as big as the end of your thumb growing thick on the canes,

getting

ready for their debut later this month. Pick them, run a little cold water

over them, and dessert can be as simple and good as a bowl of berries and a

splash of cream.

Berries that fresh and sweet, though, are just asking to be put to other,

more creative uses: pies, cakes, cobblers, crisps, betties, crumbles, grunts

and buckles, among other uses. At the risk of being repetitive, I just had to

delve into a cookbook that also gave us a good strawberry shortcake recipe

last month, Lori Longbotham's " Luscious Berry Desserts " (Chronicle Books;

$19.95) after seeing page after page of incredible-looking desserts inside.

While a few of Longbotham's recipes are somewhat complex, the majority have

just a few ingredients: The recipe for a Raspberry Truffle Tart, for

instance, includes just six. Who could resist?

When choosing berries, look for blueberries and raspberries that are plump,

firm and deeply colored, with a hazy gloss, and avoid any boxes that have

moldy, crushed or wet-looking berries; one moldy or damaged berry can quickly

infect every other one in the box.

 

(http://www.post-gazette.com/popup.asp?img=/images4/20060713jbBERRY0713C_450.jpg\

)

 

Easiest Berry Terrine

Click photo for larger image.

 

When you get them home, gently pour out your berries on a paper towel and

pick out any that look overripe or damaged. These can be eaten, but they need

to be eaten immediately (what a shame, right?). The rest can go back in their

box -- or, optimally, laid in a single layer on a paper towel in a plastic

container with a lid -- without any washing until right before you plan to use

them. Washing tends to damage berries and quickly spreads mold spores

throughout the box.

Treated this way and kept refrigerated, unwashed raspberries (the most

fragile berries, because their core stays on the cane when picked, leaving them

hollow) will last two or three days, while unwashed blueberries and

blackberries can stay fresh for five to seven days.

When you're ready to use them and need to wash them, just place them in a

colander and run water over them, shaking gently a few times, then lay them out

on a paper towel, pick out any twigs or leaves and blot very gently with

another paper towel.

In most cases, all this tenderness should carry over into your cooking, too.

Fold berries into batters at the very end and try to handle and mix them as

little as possible to keep the berries and their juices mostly intact.

They will reward you with delicious desserts. Raspberries, which are members

of the rose family and were first cultivated by the Greeks and Romans,

according to Longbotham, are perfect for all kinds of crisps, buckles and

tarts.

Blueberries, relatives of rhododendrons and azaleas and native to North

America, contribute a smooth, mellower flavor that can be floral, herbal or

piney, depending on the variety. In a pie or a crisp, they're hard to beat.

And blackberries, which begin to ripen in late July and usually keep

producing into fall, mark the end of the berry season.

They do have a period early in the season, however, in which they overlap

with the blueberry and red raspberry season. During prime time for berries,

combine several kinds of berries -- or as many kinds as you can find at your

local farmers market, if you like -- for the ultimate treat.

As one wise man I know said, this is how the kings of old only dreamed of

eating.

 

__

EASIEST BERRY TERRINE

PG TESTED

This dessert couldn't be simpler to make, but it has a sleek, sophisticated

look that makes it perfect for parties or special dinners. It also requires

no baking, making it an easy, cool choice for hot summer days.

Add whipped cream or a dollop of creme fraiche, or make it even more

delicious by serving with a berry or other fruit sorbet. You also could use

pomegranate juice or a favorite sweet wine instead of the cranberry juice for

which

the recipe asks. If you use strawberries, use small ones and slice or quarter

them -- the terrine will slice better if you use smaller berries.

My favorite combination is a mix of blueberries, raspberries and

blackberries.

* 2 cups cranberry-raspberry juice

* 2 envelopes plain gelatin

* 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

* 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

* 5 cups mixed (but not mashed) ripe berries

Pour 1/2 cup of the cranberry-raspberry juice into a small bowl, sprinkle

gelatin over it and let soften for 5 minutes.

Heat sugar with 1/2 cup cranberry-raspberry juice in a medium saucepan over

medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from

the heat and add the gelatin mixture and lemon juice, stirring until the

gelatin is dissolved. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of cranberry-raspberry juice.

Place berries in a 8 1/2-by-4-inch loaf pan. Pour juice mixture over them

and press berries down so they are submerged. Refrigerate, covered, until set

and thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days.

To serve, run a table knife around inside of the pan and dip the pan in hot

water for about five seconds. Place serving platter over top of pan and

invert. Shake gently and remove pan to release terrine.

Serve cut into slices.

Serves 8 to 10.

 

 

RASPBERRY TRUFFLE TART

* 9 ounces chocolate wafers, broken into pieces (if you can't find

chocolate wafers, substitute with 9 ounces graham crackers)

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

* 2 pints ripe raspberries

* 15 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

* 1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

* Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a

removable bottom.

Pulse the wafers in a food processor or crush in a resealable plastic bag

with a rolling pin until finely ground. Add butter and pulse or mix until well

combined. Transfer crumb mixture to tart pan and press evenly into the bottom

and up the sides.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the crust is dry and set. Let cool in pan on

a wire rack.

Pulse or blend 1/2 pint (1 cup) of raspberries in a food processor or

blender just until broken up. Pour through a coarse strainer set over a bowl,

pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard

solids.

 

Melt chocolate with the cream in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisking

occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the raspberry puree

and the salt.

Scatter the second half of the pint of berries over the bottom of the cooled

crust. Pour chocolate mixture into the crust and smooth top with rubber

spatula, covering the berries. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, for at least six

hours or overnight. Refrigerate remaining raspberries for garnish.

To serve, lift tart from side of pan by pushing up from the removable

bottom, scatter remaining pint of berries over tart and cut into thin wedges.

Serves 10 to 12.

 

 

BLUEBERRY AND RASPBERRY BREAD AND BUTTER FLUMMERY

Think of this as wonderful nursery food for grown-ups. If you'd like to make

it even more adult, add a tablespoon or two of creme de cassis (a blackberry

liqueur) or other berry liqueur. This also makes a great breakfast.

This recipe and the following one are from Lori Longbotham's " Luscious Berry

Desserts. "

* 2 pints ripe blueberries, picked over, or 4 cups frozen blueberries

* 1 pint ripe raspberries or 1 (12-ounce) package frozen raspberries

* 1 cup granulated sugar, or more to taste

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

* 8 slices firm-textured homemade-style white bread, crusts removed

* 1 cup heavy whipping cream

* 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

* Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch-square glass baking dish.

Combine the blueberries, raspberries, granulated sugar and salt in a large

saucepan and cook over medium heat, mashing the berries with a potato masher,

for about 7 minutes, until the berries begin to soften and release their

juice. Taste and add more sugar, if desired. Remove from the heat.

Generously butter each slice of bread. Line the baking dish with 4 slices of

bread, buttered side up. Pour half of the berries over the bread and spread

evenly with a rubber spatula. Add another layer of bread, buttered side down,

and top with the remaining berries, spreading them evenly.

Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm, or cool to room temperature on a

wire rack and refrigerate, covered, until thoroughly chilled.

Just before serving, beat the cream, confectioner's sugar and nutmeg (if

using) with an electric mixture on medium-high speed in a large deep bowl just

until the cream forms soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Serve the

flummery with the whipped cream.

Serves 4 to 6.

 

 

RASPBERRY BUCKLE

PG TESTED

A buckle is a buttery one-layer cake made with fruit, often berries

(especially blueberries, but raspberries and other berries taste wonderful,

too), and

sprinkled with a streusel topping. The cake rises and puffs up as it bakes,

then it buckles. The result is a golden cake with berries peeking through the

crispy topping.

For cake:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

* 1/2 cup granulated sugar

* 1 large egg

* 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

* 1/2 cup whole milk

* 1 pint ripe raspberries

* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For topping:

* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

* 1/4 packed brown sugar

* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl

until light and fluffy. Gradually add granulated sugar and beat until light and

fluffy. Add egg, zest and vanilla and beat until blended. Stir in milk with

rubber spatula. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture with the rubber

spatula; the batter will be very thick. Toss together the raspberries and lemon

juice in a small bowl and gently stir into batter. Transfer to the pan and

smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

To make the topping, whisk together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a

small bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives used

scissors-fashion until the largest pieces of butter are the size of small peas.

Sprinkle over the batter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted into the center

comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cut the buckle

into 9 squares and serve warm.

Serves 9.

 

You are the joy of all joyous things, You are the light of the beam of the

sun,

You are the surpassing star of guidance,You are the step of the deer on the

hill,You are the step of the horse in the river valley,You are the shape of

the swan of swimming,You are the grace of all lovely graces.

--Old Gaelic Blessing

 

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