There are so many
foods that SCREAM summer: s’mores, corn
on the cob, BLTs, watermelon, ice cream, anything grilled, anything from a
farmers’ market, and, of course, anything with berries. Following are a handful of recipes featuring berries. Fortunately, today most berries are available
year-round, so these recipes aren’t just for summer. Berry good--especially for the Olympic festivities!
I first had this
dessert many years ago in a very unstuffy buffet restaurant before attending a
play at the Barbican Theater in London, England. Summer pudding is quintessentially British
but very easy.
Source: an old clipping (from New Home Cooking by
Florence Fabricant Clarkson, 1992)
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 loaf (1 pound)
thinly-sliced white sandwich bread (I use Pepperidge Farms)
1 ½ c. sugar
2 T. fresh lemon
juice
2 ½ pints mixed
fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries
2 T. raspberry
liqueur
1 c. heavy cream,
whipped (optional)
Remove crusts from
bread and discard or save for crumbs.
Line 1 ½-quart bowl with bread slices in a single layer cutting slices
to fit so that no gaps appear. Reserve
remaining bread for covering top of pudding.
Combine sugar and
lemon juice in large saucepan. Heat over
medium heat until sugar starts to dissolve.
Stir in berries; cook 5 to 8 minutes until berries have softened, but
still hold their shape. Remove from
heat. Stir in liqueur.
Spoon berries with
slotted spoon into bread-lined bowl.
Reserve ½ cup berry juice; pour remaining juice over berries. Fit remaining bread on top in double layer to
cover berries. Cover the bowl with
plastic wrap.
Place flat plate
that fits inside bowl on top layer of bread.
Place filled 2-pound can on plate to weight down pudding. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, or
for up to 2 days.
To serve, remove
can and plate. Carefully run thin knife
around inside of bowl. Invert onto large
plate with rim. Use reserved berry juice
to “paint” any areas of bread where color did not completely soak in. Slice pudding and serve with whipped cream,
if desired.
This is a recipe I
remember my German paternal grandmother and my mother making. These may
be filled or topped with many things. My
mom used to fill them with ice cream or pudding and then berries. For chocolate lovers, Nutella would be a good
option.
For 6 servings, I whisked 8 oz. of marscapone cheese with a little bit of sugar and put that in the base of the cups. Then I topped them with a mixture of berries: sliced and sugared strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and black berries. I didn’t garnish with whipped cream, but when has whipped cream ever hurt anything?
For 6 servings, I whisked 8 oz. of marscapone cheese with a little bit of sugar and put that in the base of the cups. Then I topped them with a mixture of berries: sliced and sugared strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and black berries. I didn’t garnish with whipped cream, but when has whipped cream ever hurt anything?
Source: an old clipping
Yield: 12
servings, may be halved
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 T. vinegar
1 tsp. vanillaPreheat oven to 275°. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and vinegar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add vanilla and sugar a little at a time, beating on high speed until very stiff peaks form. Make twelve tortes on greased and floured cookie sheets (I lined the pans with parchment paper instead) using the back of the spoon to build up sides and dent the middle. Bake for 50 minutes. Then turn off the oven, leave undisturbed and allow meringues to sit with the door closed for 1 more hour.
Loosen tortes from cookie sheets before they are cold. Makes 12 tortes. (I made these a day before I served half of them and put them in a plastic container. I served the second half two days later, and they were still nice and crispy.)
This is super simple, but elegant
and refreshing. Recently I made this
without the Amaretto, and the cream tasted like “liquid” cheese cake with a
nice tang that complemented the berries
Source: Kay Ewing’s Cooking School Cookbook
Yield: about 1 cup of topping
Ingredients:
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese,
softened
½ c. powdered sugar (I tend to
use less, about ¼ c.)
3 T. Amaretto
½ c. whipping cream
Fresh berries (If I use
strawberries, I usually slice and lightly sugar them first.)
Process:
Beat cream cheese, sugar and
amaretto with an electric mixer until smooth.
While beating, very slowly pour in cream until combined. Cover and refrigerate. Top individual servings of any combination of
berries with the cream.
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