Berry Betty Recipes

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.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix all but 1/4 cup berries with lemon juice, and set aside to macerate. Brush four 6-ounce ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter; coat inside of each with granulated sugar, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs with remaining 4 tablespoons butter, and set aside. Sprinkle the brown sugar, flour, and nutmeg over raspberries, and gently toss to combine. Divide one-third of breadcrumbs evenly among ramekins. Top with half the berries, and then with another third of breadcrumbs. Repeat with remaining berries and breadcrumbs. Gently press down on layers.
• Bake until the crumbs are golden and berry juices are bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool 5 minutes.
• Invert ramekins onto serving plates. Remove ramekins, and top each dessert with whipped cream; garnish with reserved berries.

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.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Make 1 crust as directed on box for One-Crust Pie, Baked Shell. Cool completely, about 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, unroll second pie crust on work surface. With 4 1/2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut 1 large star. With 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut 12 small stars. Place stars on ungreased cookie sheet; sprinkle 1 tablespoon sparkling sugar on tops of stars. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown; cool. Set aside.
• In 2-quart saucepan, beat 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the cornstarch, water and lemon juice with whisk. In small bowl, mash 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries with fork to make 1 cup mashed strawberries; stir into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Pour into medium bowl; cool 5 minutes.
• Remove 1/3 cup cooked strawberry mixture to small bowl, and stir in 1 cup blueberries. To remaining cooked strawberry mixture, fold in remaining 2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries and the raspberries.
• In small bowl, mix cream cheese and lemon peel until well blended. Spread in bottom of cooled baked pie shell. Spoon strawberry-raspberry mixture into pie shell, pushing berries toward outside edges to leave 3-inch circle in center. Scoop blueberry mixture to fill center circle.
• Refrigerate 3 hours. To decorate, place 1 large star in center and smaller stars around edge of pie.

Steps:

• 1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 2. In a large bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, and cornstarch; toss to coat. Add bread cubes and melted butter; mix well then spoon into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. 3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly and bread is golden. Serve warm. Serving Tip For a totally awesome dessert, serve this with fresh whipped cream made simply by beating 1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream with 2 to 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form.