Tag: berries

Baking · Do-ahead

Blackberry and coconut tray bake

Belinda

Tray bakes are very “Commonwealth.” I was brought up with them in New Zealand and they are also very popular in Great Britain. They are usually very easy to make and so delicious. My son, Oliver made this to take to work, it was spectacular and everyone wanted more.

8 oz self-raising flour
4 oz oats
5 oz soft brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
7 oz cold butter, cut into pieces
4 oz sweetened shredded coconut
2 large eggs
14 oz fresh blackberries

Heat the oven to 350 F

Tip the flour, oats, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips until only pea sized pieces remain.

Stir through the coconut, then fill a tea cup with the mixture and set this aside.

Stir the eggs into the bowl of mixture, then spread over the bottom of a lined baking tin, (like a 9” by 13” shallow Swiss roll tin or a square tin)
Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, then scatter over the blackberries so they cover the mixture.

Scatter over the reserved teacup mixture and bake for 1 hour  – 1 hour 20 minutes until golden and cooked through (if you poke a skewer in, it should come out with moist crumbs but no wet mixture).

Leave to cook, then remove from the tin and cut into squares.
Serve with some extra berries, if you like.

Breakfast · Do-ahead

Overnight blueberry french toast

Belinda

This is well worth doing and make sure you start the night before. It’s worth it!
From the blogger, “One Perfect Bite” and adapted from a Patricia Wells recipe

Serves 8 to 10

Casserole

1 (1lb) loaf day-old blueberry streusel bread, cut into1 inch cubes, or make up the Betty Crocker or Marie Callender’s blueberry muffin mix the day before.
1 8oz package cream cheese, cut into half inch cubes
1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided use
12 extra large eggs,organic preferably
2 cups light cream or half and half (cream is best!)
1/3 cup maple syrup

Sauce

1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup blueberries
1 tbsp butter

Directions

Grease a 9x13x2 inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
Cover the bottom of the baking dish with half of the cubed bread.
Dot the cubes of bread with small evenly placed pieces of the cream cheese.
Sprinkle with 1 cup of blueberries.
Cover with remaining bread cubes.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, add the half and half/cream and maple syrup and mix well.
Pour over the bread mixture.
Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the reserved 1/4 cup of blueberries.
Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from the fridge 30 mins before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 to 50 minutes or until puffy and golden brown before baking and the center is set.

To make the syrup;

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add water and bring to the boil over medium heat.
Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in the blueberries; reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the berries have burst.
Stir in the butter.  Serve over the French toast.

Makes 1-3/4 cups sauce

Cut casserole into desired portions. Transfer to plates for serving. Lightly drizzle each serving with about 1 tbsp of the sauce. Pass remaining sauce at the table
Enjoy!!

 

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead

No-bake strawberry icebox cake

Belinda1 Comment

Serves 8 to 12

2 lbs fresh sweet strawberries, washed
3 1/4 cups whipping cream divided,
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp good vanilla essence
1/2 tsp rosewater, optional but lovely
4 sleeves, (about 19 ounces or 24 to 28 whole crackers) Graham crackers
2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

Take out a few of the very best looking strawberries and set aside for the topping. Hull the remainder of the strawberries and slice each berry into thin slices.

With a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer,whip 3 cups of whipping cream until it just holds. (stiff peaks) Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla essence and rosewater (if using) and whip to combine.
Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, or similarly-sized platter.
Lay down 6 graham crackers and lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream and then a single layer of strawberries.
Repeat three times until you have 4 layers of graham crackers.
Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon.
Add a few more strawberries.
To make the ganache, heat the cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate.
Let it stand for a few minutes then whisk until it’s thick and glossy.
Drizzle this over the layered dessert with a spoon or transfer to a squeeze bottle and use that to drizzle.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours  or until the crackers have softened completely (I do it over night)
Garnish with additional berries.

Dessert · Do-ahead

Summer Pudding with Rum Whipped Cream

Belinda

I make this a lot any time of the year and it’s gorgeous! Thanks to the Barefoot Contessa.

Serves 8.

Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided
2 half-pints fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons framboise (raspberry brandy)
1 loaf brioche or egg bread (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
Directions
Rum whipped cream recipe follows;

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup of water in a large saucepan and cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of the raspberries and all the blueberries and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a simmer, and simmer for a minute.
Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise.

Slice the bread in 1/2-inch-thick slices and remove the crusts. In the bottom of a 7 1/2-inch round by 3-inch high souffle or baking dish, ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooked berry mixture.
Arrange slices of bread in a pattern (this will become the top when it’s unmolded) and then add more berry mixture to saturate.
Continue adding bread, cutting it to fit the mold, and berries.
Finish with bread and cooked berries, using all of the fruit and syrup.

Place a sheet of plastic wrap loosely over the pudding.
Find a plate approximately the same diameter as the inside of the mold and place it on top.
Weight the mold with a heavy can and refrigerate. Remove the weight after 6 to 8 hours.
Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, run a knife around the outside of the pudding and unmold it upside down onto a serving plate. Serve in wedges with rum whipped cream.

Rum Whipped Cream:
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream. I used thick plain Greek yoghurt and didn’t use an electric mixer)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure really good vanilla extract (I use the Madagascar variety)
1 tablespoon dark rum

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. If using Greek yoghurt, just whisk with a fork or metal whisk.
When it starts to thicken, add the sugar, vanilla, and rum.
Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks. Serve cold.