Berry Delicious Desserts: Part 2

Easy Berry Cobbler
America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Serves 6


This cobbler is topped with store-bought sugar cookie dough, making it quick and easy to prepare. Of course, you can use homemade sugar cookie dough. Of course, you will only use half of a normal sugar cookie dough recipe, so bake cookies or freeze the remaining dough. Don't be tempted to use more than 8 oz of cookies dough- it will not cook through in the center.

2 pounds of frozen blueberries, strawberries, and/or blackberries
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) plus 2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
8 ounces sugar cookie dough (see note above)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest (my addition!)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large rimed baking sheet with foil.

Microwave the berries in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate until hot, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring half-way through heating. Note: if the berries are fresh, reduce the time in the microwave, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the berries through a fine mesh strainer, discarding all but 1/4 cup of the juice. Toss the hot berries, reserved 1/4 cup juice, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and cornstarch together in a large bowl. Add lemon zest here, if using.

Spread the berries into the warm pie plate and place it on top of prepared baking sheet. Pinch off teaspoon-sized pieces of the cookie dough and arrange them evenly over the top of the filling (the filling should still be hot). Toss the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough.

Bake the cobbler until the filling is bubbling and the dough is golden brown and cooked through in the middle, about 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions: serve with whip cream or vanilla ice cream. Also, substitute half the blueberries with peaches. That would be a fantastic combination!

To Make Ahead

The baked cobbler can be held at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before serving.

Berry Delicious Desserts: Part 1

With all the berry picking this summer, I have been need of good recipes for all of them! Aside from jam and blueberry muffins, I determined it was just the right time for a berry tart!


I followed this recipe exactly as printed, and I had no problems.



Easy Fresh Fruit Tart

Cooks Country, 8/2007

Turbinado, a coarse raw sugar, works especially well in place of the granulated sugar sprinkled on the pastry. Although we liked a mix of berries, virtually any ripe fruit—alone or in combination—will work here. Smooth jelly (rather than chunky jam or preserves) is a must for this recipe.

Serves 4 to 6

1	(9 1/2 by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry , thawed overnight in refrigerator
2	teaspoons sugar
1/8	teaspoon ground cinnamon
4	ounces cream cheese , softened
1/2	cup plus 2 tablespoons strawberry jelly
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
3	cups fresh berries

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold thawed pastry onto baking sheet and, following photos at right, prepare pastry shell.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle mixture over inside of tart shell. Transfer to oven and bake until pastry and sugar are deep golden brown, 15 to 22 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour.

While crust is baking, stir softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons jelly, and vanilla in bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance; stir well before using.)

Spread cream cheese mixture over inside of cooled tart shell. Place remaining jelly in large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power until jelly melts, about 30 seconds. Add berries to bowl and toss gently until coated with jelly. Spoon berries over cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until jelly is set, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve.


STEP BY STEP: Turning Puff Pastry into a Tart Shell

1. Brush a 1/2-inch border along the edges of the pastry with water. Fold the long edges of the pastry over by 1/2 inch, then fold the short edges over by 1/2 inch.	2. Working lengthwise, lightly score the outer edge of all folded edges of the tart shell with a paring knife.
3. To prevent the center of the tart from puffing up in the oven, poke the dough repeatedly with a fork.

Puff Pastry: One of my new favorite things

Pâte feuilletée [literally, layered dough] – pat fe-yeah-teh – is the French for puff pastry, a fine and versatile pastry used in many pâtisseries and baked good: from mille-feuilles to flans. It consists in a basic dough, the détrempe – deh-tramp – spread with a good share of beurre manié – bear man-yeah –, then successively folded and rolled out; hence the layer part of its French name. Puff pastry can come in one of three ways: 1) store bought, easy to defrost and use; 2) homemade hard way- long and painful process; or 3) an apparently easy and tasty way.

While browsing the internet for other puff pastry recipes, I stumbled across another blog called Fab Frugal Food. Donna, the blog's keeper, posted her own recipe for puff pastry which I am eager to try this weekend. She has tried to make her own 30 times, and finally settled on this recipe. Talk about my kind of woman!

5 MINUTE HOMEMADE PUFF PASTRY

1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese, cold
8 ounces unsalted butter, cold
1 tablespoon cold water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place flour and salt in a food processor. Cut cream cheese and butter into small cubes and add to food processor. Pulse in 1-second pulses for about 8 to 10 pulses, until small crumb stage.

Turn processor on and stream in the water, just for a few seconds until the dough begins to come together in a ball. Flatten dough into a small disc, wrap in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Fold dough over itself in thirds. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness again.

Cut into shapes as desired and bake on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake near top of of oven for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on size of shapes, until light golden brown, watching closely the last few minutes so as not to burn.

Garden Inspired: Chicken Saltimbocca

This week in my menu planning I decided to use the fragrant sage and basil we have in our second container garden. Sage served as my inspiration for this recipe. I followed Cook's Illustrated's recipe with a few substitutions: I used thin sliced country ham instead of prosciutto; dried parsley instead of fresh; 3 teaspoons/1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice instead of 2 teaspoons.

Honestly, I was surprised how flavorful, quick and delicious this dish turned out. My husband raved about the flavor! And he had seconds.

Serving ideas: Serve with french bread, roasted garlic, roasted asparagus or green beans, mashed or baked potatoes or even yummy risotto.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Serves 4. Published March 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

Buy cutlets that are approximately 5 to 6 inches long. If the tip is too thin, trim back 1 to 2 inches to make the cutlet of uniform thickness. If cutlets are unavailable, you can make your own with four (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see “Cutting Your Own Cutlets,” related content). Although whole sage leaves make a beautiful presentation, they are optional and can be left out of step 3. Make sure to buy prosciutto that is thinly sliced, not shaved; also avoid slices that are too thick, as they won’t stick to the chicken.

1/2	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
	Ground black pepper
8	thin-cut, boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (about 2 pounds), trimmed of ragged edges as necessary (see note)
1	tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves , plus 8 large leaves (optional)
8	thin slices prosciutto , cut into 5- to 6-inch-long pieces to match chicken (about 3 ounces)
4	tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4	cups dry vermouth or white wine
2	teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
4	tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1	tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Combine flour and 1 teaspoon pepper in shallow dish.

2. Pat cutlets dry with paper towels. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off any excess. Lay cutlets flat and sprinkle evenly with minced sage. Place 1 prosciutto slice on top of each cutlet, pressing lightly to adhere; set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to shimmer. Add sage leaves (if using) and cook until leaves begin to change color and are fragrant, about 15 to 20 seconds. Using slotted spoon, remove sage to paper towel-lined plate; reserve. Add half of cutlets to pan, prosciutto-side down, and cook until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until light golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack set on rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cutlets, then transfer to oven to keep warm while preparing sauce.

4. Pour off excess fat from skillet. Stir in vermouth, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. (Note: leave heat on medium or medium high in order to simmer off the extra liquid. I found it took longer when I put the heat on low.) Stir in lemon juice. Turn heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Remove chicken from oven and place on platter. Spoon sauce over cutlets before serving.

Step-by-Step

Saltimbocca Made Simple

1. FLOUR CHICKEN ONLY
No need to flour the prosciutto before sautéing, just the chicken.

2. SPREAD SAGE FLAVOR
Sprinkling the cutlets with sage and topping with prosciutto distributes flavor evenly.

3. FORGET THE TOOTHPICK
Searing the cutlets prosciutto-side down first helps the ham stick.

4. MAKE SAUCE
Stir the vermouth into the pan, reduce, and finish with butter. Spoon over cutlets.

Summer Berries: Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Last summer, I was introduced to strawberry picking out in Southern Maryland. While last fall, my husband and I joined a group of friends from our church to go apple picking! As a native Texan, I have never picked my own produce before, and after these two experiences, I was hooked.

This summer alone I have picked over 40 pounds of fresh strawberries, red, purple and black raspberries and blueberries. With all these berries laying around our house, I am now in search of good recipes for all of them. This blueberry muffin recipe is my favorite so far.



Blueberry Streusel Muffins
From Cooks Country, Published June 2007

To prevent a streaky batter, leave the blueberries in the freezer until the last possible moment. Wyman's brand frozen wild blueberries are our first choice, but an equal amount of fresh blueberries may be substituted.

Makes 12

Streusel
1 1/4	cups all-purpose flour
1/3	cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3	cup granulated sugar
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
	Pinch salt
7	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
Muffins
4	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for preparing muffin tin
2	cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for preparing muffin tin
1	large egg
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1	cup granulated sugar
1	teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2	cup buttermilk
1	tablespoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt
1 1/2	cups frozen blueberries

1. For the streusel: Combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened and mixture forms large chunks with some pea-sized pieces throughout.

2. For the muffins: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk egg in medium bowl until pale and evenly combined, about 30 seconds. Add vanilla, sugar, and zest and whisk vigorously until thick, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in melted butter; add buttermilk and whisk until combined.

3. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour. Whisk remaining flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Fold in egg mixture until nearly combined. Toss blueberries with reserved flour and fold into batter until just combined.

4. Divide batter in muffin tin and top with streusel. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with few dry crumbs attached, 23 to 27 minutes. Cool muffins in tin for 20 minutes, then carefully transfer muffins to rack to cool completely. (Muffins can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.)

Salute to the Mother Country: Chicken Enchiladas and Spanish rice

It is obvious if you take a look at me that I have some Hispanic blood running through my veins. Well, this blood runs through my veins and all the way to the tip of my taste buds! I grew up in Texas, and other than my family, I miss food the most from the Lone Star State.

Growing up, my grandma taught me how to make flour tortillas, refried beans and Spanish rice from scratch. Oh how I miss cooking with her. My dear mother also tutored me in her cooking ways- making wonderful Tex-Mex, more mild, but always able to be spiced up.

One of my favorites is one of the easiest- Chicken Enchiladas! You will find the recipe below.

Chicken Enchiladas

3 chicken breasts cooked & diced (Note: I cook my chicken in boiling water over medium high heat until no longer pink inside.)

8 oz. cream cheese (Note: the full fat version tastes the best, but 1/3 less fat is doable.)

1 medium white or yellow onion

1 stick butter

10-12 flour tortillas

8 oz, Monterey Jack cheese, grated (Note: I always use more than 8 oz)

1 small can Carnation evaporated milk

Pulse onion in food processor (or just chop up). Saute onion in butter until cooked through. Add cream cheese and blend together. Add chicken salt and pepper. Put about two big spoonfuls in tortilla. Roll up.Place in greased (I spray with Pam) 9 x 13 pan. Top with grated cheese. Pour milk over-not entire can. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes or less. Top with Salsa Verde, guacamole or Picante sauce.

If serving hungry men, I always double the meat, butter and cream cheese.

To accompany chicken enchiladas, I always make Spanish rice, refried beans, guacamole, and sometimes chili con queso. The recipe below for Spanish rice is pretty simple and flexible. If you do not have celery and carrots, you can substitute the whole bell pepper. Last time I made this rice, I used a whole red pepper instead of the other vegetables. It tastes great!

Spanish Rice

3 Tablespoons canola oil (Note: I use vegetable oil.)

1-1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice

1/2 white onion, chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup carrot diced

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin (Note: essential for flavor!)

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

Heat oil in skillet and sauté the rice until golden brown. Add the vegetables and seasonings and continue to cook for 1to 2 minutes more. Add the broth and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Persian Desserts: Baklava

At my work, I am helping plan and coordinate a fundraiser this weekend. I throughly love planning all the details to try to assure a smooth party. For this party, we are having Persian appetizers and desserts. Shopping around for the appetizers has proven to be quite a challenge. Everything is so expensive! Thus, I decided to try and make my own...for the fun of it.

Last night, I attempted my first baklava. It turned out okay, yet slightly doughy in the middle. So today, I tried another recipe with my own several twists. If any of you actually know me, you know that I am a huge fan of America’s Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated/Cooks Country. While I love their recipes, some of them are over the top and have unnecessary steps. Hence, I have adapted their baklava recipe for a great dessert. If you have two hours of time, try it! You will not be sorry.



Baklava
Adpated from Cook’s Illustrated, Published March 1, 2004.

Makes 32 to 40 pieces.

A straight-sided traditional (not nonstick) metal baking pan works best for making baklava; the straight sides ensure that the pieces will have nicely shaped edges, and the surface of a traditional pan will not be marred by the knife during cutting, as would a nonstick surface. If you don’t have this type of pan, a glass baking dish will work. Make sure that the phyllo is fully thawed before use; leave it in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for four to five hours. When assembling, use the nicest, most intact phyllo sheets for the bottom and top layers; use sheets with tears or ones that are smaller than the size of the pan in the middle layers, where their imperfections will go unnoticed.

Sugar Syrup
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
3 strips lemon zest , removed in large strips with vegetable peeler
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Nut Filling
8 ounces blanched slivered almonds OR 8 ounces pecans
4-8 ounces walnuts
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Pastry and Butter
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted, and cooled slightly
1 pound frozen phyllo , thawed (see note)

Lightly roast the nuts in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, flipping nuts over half-way through.

While nuts are in the oven roasting, prepare your sugar syrup. For the sugar syrup: Combine syrup ingredients in small saucepan and bring to full boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Transfer to 2-cup measuring cup and set aside to cool while making and baking baklava; when syrup is cool, discard spices and lemon zest. (Cooled syrup can be refrigerated in airtight container up to 4 days.)

For the nut filling: Pulse pecans (or almonds) in food processor until very finely chopped, about twenty 1-second pulses; transfer to medium bowl. Pulse walnuts in food processor until very finely chopped, about fifteen 1-second pulses; transfer to bowl with almonds and toss to combine. Measure out 1 tablespoon nuts and set aside for garnish. Add cinnamon, cloves, sugar, and salt; toss well to combine.

To assemble and bake: Brush 13- by 9-inch traditional (not nonstick) baking pan with butter. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Unwrap and unfold phyllo on large cutting board; carefully smooth with hands to flatten. Following illustration 1 below, and using baking pan as guide, cut sheets crosswise with chef’s knife, yielding two roughly evenly sized stacks of phyllo (one may be narrower than other). Cover with plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel to prevent drying. Note: I used wax paper instead of plastic wrap, which I found to slip too easily, causing the phyllo to get too wet.

Following illustration 3, place one phyllo sheet (from wider stack) in bottom of baking pan and brush until completely coated with butter. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets (from wider stack), brushing each with butter.

Following illustration 4, evenly distribute about 1 cup nuts over phyllo. Cover nuts with phyllo sheet (from narrower stack) and dab with butter (phyllo will slip if butter is brushed on). Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets (from narrower stack), staggering sheets slightly if necessary to cover nuts, and brushing each with butter. Repeat layering with additional 1 cup nuts, 6 sheets phyllo, and remaining 1 cup nuts. Finish with 8 to 10 sheets phyllo (from wider stack), using nicest and most intact sheets for uppermost layers and brushing each except final sheet with butter. Following illustration 6, use palms of hands to compress layers, working from center outward to press out any air pockets. Spoon 4 tablespoons butter on top layer and brush to cover all surfaces. Following illustration 7, use bread knife or other serrated knife ( I just used a sharp paring knife) with pointed tip in gentle sawing motion to cut baklava into diamonds, rotating pan as necessary to complete cuts. (Cut on bias into eighths on both diagonals.)

Bake until golden and crisped, about 1 ½ hours, rotating baking pan halfway through baking. Immediately after removing baklava from oven, pour cooled syrup over cut lines until about 2 tablespoons remain (syrup will sizzle when it hits hot pan); drizzle remaining syrup over surface. Garnish center of each piece with pinch of reserved ground nuts. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 3 hours, then cover with foil and let stand at least 8 hours before serving. (Once cooled, baklava can be served, but flavor and texture improve if left to stand at least 8 hours. Baklava can be wrapped tightly in foil and kept at room temperature up to 10 days.)

1. Cover phyllo to keep moist.

2. But phyllo to fit in pan.

3. Butter bottom layers.

4. Spread nut Filling.

5. Butter more layers.

6. Compress layers.

7. Cut into diamonds, then bake.

8. Pour syrup over cut lines and garnish each piece with nuts.