Berry Betty Recipes

BLUEBERRY BETTY BOUFFANT

Steps:

• To make the streusel: In a mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Push the mixture through a baking rack and chill for 1 hour.
• To make the Brown Betty: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Press the mixture into a buttered half hotel pan. Top evenly with Streusel. Bake in an oven at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until browned and bubbling around the edges. Allow to cool, and then chill several hours. Using a 3-inch ring mold, cut out rounds.
• To make Face: Using a piece of acetate cut out a face-shaped stencil. In a mixer with whip attachment, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Blend in confectioners' sugar, flour, and salt. At low speed, blend in butter and vanilla. Stencil the tuile batter onto a nonstick baking sheet. Mix a small amount of the tuile batter with some cocoa powder and pour into a parchment cone. Pipe features onto the face-shaped tuiles. Bake the tuiles at 325 degrees F for 8 minutes. Immediately after removing the tuiles from the oven, place them over a can to form a curved shape.
• To make Hair: Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil. Cook until temperature reaches 315 degrees F. Remove from heat and add blue paste food coloring to desired shade of blue. Use a cut-off whisk to form spun sugar "hair".
• To serve warm a Brown Betty round in oven. Place on dessert plate. Place tuile "face" on the side of the round. Pile spun sugar "hair" on top of the round. Garnish the plate with the raspberry coulis, creme anglaise, blueberry necklace, and mint.

BLACKBERRY BROWN BETTY WITH PECAN CRUMBLE

Steps:

• For the pastry cream: In a small saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla bean pod and seeds to a boil over medium heat. Once it comes to a boil, cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let steep for 15 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together until very thick. Slowly drizzle one-third of the hot milk into the yolks, whisking constantly. Remove the vanilla bean pod. Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking continually, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue whisking while the mixture boils for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat. Whisk slowly until the mixture cools a bit, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time.
• The pastry cream needs to be chilled before using. One method is to cover the surface of the cream with a sheet of buttered parchment, or butter wrappers, and refrigerate it until it is very cold. The other method, which I prefer, is quicker: Set the bowl of pastry cream in a larger bowl filled with lots of ice and some cold water and allow it to sit until very cold. (Think of chilling a bottle of wine or champagne-you need some water to ensure even cooling.) If you choose this method, stir the cream occasionally for even cooling. The pastry cream can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.
• For the crumble topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Coarsely chop 1/4 cup of the pecans.
• Put the remaining 3/4 cup pecans in a food processor along with 1/2 cup of the cake flour. (The flour will help keep the nuts from turning into pecan butter.) Pulse the pecans until they're very finely chopped. Add the rest of the flour, the confectioners' sugar, turbinado sugar, salt and baking powder. Pulse until mixed, 3 to 4 times.
• With the machine running, add the melted butter and vanilla. Pulse until large clumps form. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the reserved 1/4 cup chopped pecans. Refrigerate until chilled. The topping can be made several days in advance and can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
• To bake the betties, heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready eight 6-ounce ramekins or baking dishes.
• Divide the chilled pastry cream evenly among the ramekins. The cream should fill just under one-third of the ramekin. I like piping the cream into the ramekins, but using a spoon old-school works just as well.
• Evenly portion the berries on top of the pastry cream. Remove the crumble from the refrigerator. Break off clumps about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter, keeping the clumps about the same size, and divide them evenly among the ramekins.
• Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until the berries start to bubble and the topping turns golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, and serve dusted with confectioners' sugar. You can also serve the betties topped with ice cream, whipped cream or creme fraiche, or you can pour a little warm heavy cream into each betty.

APPLE-BERRY BROWN BETTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Toss the apples, blackberries, granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, the lemon zest and juice, flour and 4 tablespoons melted butter in a large bowl.
• In another bowl, combine the cones, brown sugar, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, the almonds, salt and the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter.
• Pour half of the apple-berry mixture into the prepared baking dish. Scatter half of the cone mixture on top. Spread the remaining apple-berry mixture on top, then sprinkle with the remaining cone mixture. Bake until the apples are soft and the topping is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the dish to a rack and let sit 10 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

EASY TRIPLE BERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup sugar, the melted butter and sour cream with whisk until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the berries. Spread batter in pie plate. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup berries and 1 teaspoon sugar over top.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. Cut into wedges; serve with whipped cream.

PEAR-BLUEBERRY BETTY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray eight 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups with vegetable spray; coat each with 3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar. Cut bread into 1/4-inch cubes; place on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Raise oven temperature to 400 degree.
• Slice pears in half lengthwise; core. Cut each half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, brandy, and 4 tablespoons pear nectar; toss to combine.
• Place bread cubes in a bowl; add melted butter and half the liquid from pear mixture; toss to combine. Place 1 heaping tablespoon bread in each ramekin to cover bottom. Distribute half the pears among ramekins. Add 1 heaping tablespoon blueberries to each; cover with remaining pears. Divide remaining bread over pears; drizzle with remaining pear liquid.
• Cover each ramekin with foil; press down on tops and place on a baking sheet. Place a baking pan on top of ramekins and fill with dried beans to weight it. Bake until puddings are golden, about 50 minutes. Remove weight and transfer ramekins to a wire rack; let cool for about 20 minutes. Remove foil. Unmold onto serving plates.
• Meanwhile, whisk yogurt with remaining tablespoon brown sugar and pear nectar. Serve yogurt sauce on the side.