Berry Fool

We’re switching gears a bit from all those juicy fragrant peaches, plums, apricots, and their stone fruit companions, and we’re putting berries under the magnifying glass… yet, my fruit bowl is still overflowing with peaches and plums as I’m typing these words, and they are winking at me for attention.  If I’m not happily munching some of these peaches in the next ten minutes, they’ll most likely end up in yet another baked concoction in the next day or two.  Have I mentioned that I’ve been baking a lot with stone fruits, lately?  Yep… I think I have.    

So, bring out the berries; I’m in the mood for a fool… a berry fool that is.  The initial recipe, which got me so inspired, asked for blueberries.  Well, tough luck!  Blueberries don’t really sing to me; we don’t get along as we should.  For me they’re sort of… faint.  They just need that extra zing and enthusiasm and pop of color from other berries to really shine.  On their own, blueberries fall short; in the company of other bold luscious berries, they flourish like there’s no tomorrow… and then we get along just fine.  

    

And so, the original blueberry fool became a berry fool with the generous help of some strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries; pretty much any berry I could get my hands on.  Of course, I didn’t leave out the blueberries.  It would have been a crime!  So, into the mix they went.  Still, I desperately wanted to boost the party with some currants, but these glossy red little suckers are so scarce around here that if you find them they are worth an absolute fortune. 

With or without currants this berry fool impressed me.  It turned out to be a light and frothy mousse flecked with tart bright berries.  It was like air.  Dunk a crackly pecan shortbread cookie in the fool and you’ll get that much deserved crunchy bite; a hefty dollop of toasted sliced almonds, or walnuts, or hazelnuts or whatever you have lounging around will also do the trick.  With this berry fool, you can relish a cool dessert, tonight; put an extra one in the fridge and tomorrow morning you’ll enjoy an invigorating breakfast!   

Berry Fool

Adapted from Food Network Magazine (July / August 2011)

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

·         2 cups mixed berries

·         ¼ cup granulated sugar

·         Pinch of salt

·         Zest and juice from 1 lemon

·         1 1/3 cups heavy cream

·         1 Tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         Shortbread cookies or toasted sliced almonds or hazelnuts etc., for serving

Instructions:

1.    Make the berry sauce:  Heat 1 ½ cups berries, the granulated sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbling.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries are soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the grated lemon zest and juice.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the remaining ½ cup berries and let mixture cool to room temperature.

2.    Using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl until soft peaks begin to form.  Gently fold all but 1/3 cup of the berry sauce into the whipped cream.  Divide among glasses and top with the remaining berry sauce.  Serve with cookies or sprinkle the toasted sliced almonds on top.   

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Going bananas

When I think of bananas, I usually think of an exotic fruit that gives you energy and that it’s best eaten in the morning or thrown into a sort of cake.  Well, it turns out there are countless things you can do with bananas.  One of these is a Cranberry-Topped Pudding.  Now, I’m not really sure that this is actually a pudding, but we’ll let that slide by; it’s not that important anyway.  What’s important is that you can have this pudding for breakfast, brunch, dessert, snack, you name it.  And even more important is the fact that it’s featherlight, filling and fabulous! 

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago.  It was nicely delivered with our Thursday Pittsburgh Post-Gazette paper.  And out of the 10 easy things to do with bananas, this one stood out the most.  It was easy, fast and looked (at least in the picture) gorgeous.  I planned on trying this recipe for brunch over the weekend one of these days, but it turned out that brunch came sooner than expected.  Not long ago, both Adrian and I were in the mood for something sweet.  I’m not the only one in our family who has a sweet tooth; my husband is a major sweet lover.  Unfortunately, I was out of anything dessert like.  So, I had to improvise.  And this is how our pre-planned brunch turned into a late night dessert.  And it was well worth it!    

This pudding is a great way to start your morning or as it turned out for us to end your night.  The Greek yogurt and ricotta cheese make this pudding hearty, while the cranberries make it chewy and tart.  And you’ll also get an energy boost from the bananas.  Sprinkle some toasted sliced almonds on top for an extra layer of texture, crunchy bite and nutty flavor.  You will not be sorry.   

Cranberry-Topped Pudding

Adapted from Dash (March 2012)

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

·         2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

·         3 sliced bananas

·         1 cup plain Greek yogurt

·         ¼ cup ricotta cheese

·         2 Tablespoons honey

·         2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

Instructions:

Sprinkle lemon juice over the bananas.  In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese and honey.  Add bananas.  Spoon into 4 serving bowls.  Top each serving with dried cranberries. 

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)    

An affair…

I have a confession to make: I’m having an affair… with white chocolate!  I’ve always loved white chocolate.  I can’t explain why exactly I like it better than the other types of chocolate.  Perhaps because I feel it resembles the vanilla flavor that I love so much.  White chocolate is light, silky, elegant, and it’s the chocolate I run to when I’m in the mood for chocolate.  So, when I came across Giada’s Mascarpone and Dark Chocolate Cream in White Chocolate Cups recipe, there was no doubt in my mind – I had to try it!

It’s true.  Making these cupcakes was different and slightly more challenging than making other cupcakes.  There is actually no baking involved.  These are definitely my first cupcakes, which I didn’t have to bake in the oven.  When I was making them, I felt like a painter.  I wasn’t painting the Mona Lisa or the Sistine Chapel, but I was painting the ultimate chocolate treat!  I’m no Michelangelo; however, these cupcakes are a work of art!  Not to mention that the whole confection is edible. 

These cupcakes are creamy, rich, crunchy, and just fabulous!  The contrasting colors make them elegant and sophisticated.  When you unpeel the cupcake liner, the white chocolate shell displays perfect ridges.  They are like small, delicate trinkets – you don’t know whether to eat them or to admire them.  If you are not a fan of white chocolate, you’ll be converted!  

Mascarpone and Semisweet Chocolate Cream in White Chocolate Cups

Adapted slightly from Mascarpone and Dark Chocolate Cream in White Chocolate Cups by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients:

·         8 ounces good-quality white chocolate like Ghirardelli, chopped

·         4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used semisweet chocolate because I’m not a big fan of dark chocolate, but if you love dark chocolate I would definitely use that, instead)

·         1 cup heavy cream

·         3 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

·         8 ounces mascarpone cheese

·         1 teaspoon grated orange peel

·         ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

·         White chocolate curls, for garnish

Instructions:

Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.  Melt the white chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth.  Spoon 1 Tablespoon melted chocolate into each paper liner.  Using a pastry brush, coat the chocolate evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the liners.  Freeze until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.  Remelt the white chocolate in the bowl.  Spoon 1 Tablespoon into each cup and brush over the bottom and up the sides, forming a second coat.  Freeze until completely set, about 1 hour. 

Melt the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate in top of a clean double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth.  At this point, set aside to cool completely.

Using an electric hand mixer beat the cream and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form.  Set the whipped cream aside. 

Using an electric hand mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese, melted semisweet chocolate, orange peel, and vanilla extract in a large bowl just until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds (do not overmix).  Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 2 batches.  Transfer the mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.  Pipe the mousse into the white chocolate cups.  Sprinkle the white chocolate curls over the mousse and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight, and then let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.  

Once you try these cupcakes, you’ll definitely fall in love with white chocolate.  Your guests will also be blown away and you’ll receive nothing but compliments.  These are the ultimate treat for any chocoholic!  Enjoy!