For most of the year, raspberries fall into the break-the-budget category, but for several weeks every summer most of us can feast on local raspberries at an affordable price.
This is great news, since fresh raspberries are ready to use and add instant luxury to lazy summer desserts. If you want a truly instant dessert, just fill stemmed glasses with raspberries and whipped cream or cover vanilla ice cream with a handful of the berries.
When choosing containers of raspberries, look for cartons that have no juice leaking out of the bottom and are filled with dark red berries without stems or hulls. The top of the center of the raspberry should have a small hole where the central white core remained on the bush.
Raspberry-Stuffed White Chocolate Mousse
Makes 8 servings
2 cups cold whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
9 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups fresh raspberries
Have ready serving bowl with at least 6-cup capacity. Heat 1/2 cup cream and butter in medium saucepan over low heat until mixture is hot and butter melts. Do not let mixture boil. Remove pan from heat. Add chopped white chocolate and let soften in cream mixture about 30 seconds. Stir mixture until smooth and all of chocolate melts. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until cool to touch but still pourable, about 45 minutes.
Place remaining cream, vanilla, almond extract and cooled white chocolate mixture in large bowl of electric mixer. Mix on low speed to combine. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until firm peaks form, about 1 minute.
Spoon half of mousse into serving bowl (a glass bowl will show the layers). Spread 1 1/2 cups raspberries over top, spreading them to edge. Cover with remaining mousse. Sprinkle remaining raspberries over top. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Serve cold.
Simple Raspberry Napoleon
Makes 6 servings
PASTRY:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for baking sheet
3 fresh filo pastry sheets or defrosted, if frozen
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
FILLING:
1 cup cold whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
Line an unrimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush paper with melted butter. Have ready second piece of parchment paper for second baking sheet.
To prepare pastry, stack 3 filo sheets and trim them to 12-inch square. Cover with damp towel to prevent drying out. Place 1 square on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Top with second square and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Top with filo square and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
Cut filo squares into 3 (4-inch-wide) strips. Place remaining piece of parchment paper over filo. Place second baking sheet on parchment. Bake at 375 degrees until pastry is evenly light brown, about 8 minutes. Remove baking sheet and parchment paper from top of pastry. Cut 1 strip of warm pastry into 6 small strips and cool pastry on baking sheet.
Note: Filo pastry strips can be baked a day ahead, but for crisp pastry, assemble the dessert not more than 3 hours before serving it.
To prepare filling, beat cream, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl of electric mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form. Place 1 long filo strip on serving plate. Spread half of whipped cream over pastry. Place half of raspberries evenly over cream. Repeat with second long strip and remaining cream and raspberries. Place 6 short pastry strips evenly along top of Napoleon, standing them on their edges. Dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate up to 3 hours and serve cold.
Raspberry Glazed Pie
Makes 8 servings
5 cups fresh raspberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons raspberry jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3/4 cup cold water
1 baked (9-inch) pie shell
1 cup cold whipping cream whipped to soft peaks with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, optional
Cook 1 cup raspberries, granulated sugar, jam and cornstarch mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve jam and sugar. Bring to boil, cooking just until glaze thickens and becomes clear.
Strain into bowl and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Discard seeds and any fruit in strainer.
Place 4 cups remaining rasp-berries in large bowl and gently mix in cooled glaze to coat rasp-berries evenly with glaze. Spoon raspberry mixture into baked crust. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Serve pie cold on day it is prepared with whipped cream.
Raspberries and Marscapone Cream Tart
Makes 12 servings
CRUST:
1 large cold egg
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cake flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Cake flour to roll out dough
FILLING:
1 cup cold mascarpone
1/2 cup cold whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 cups fresh raspberries
Butter bottom and sides of 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
To prepare crust, mix egg with fork just to break up yolk. Mix both flours, powdered sugar, almonds, baking powder and salt in large bowl of electric mixer on low speed until blended. Cut in butter until pieces are size of peas and mixture looks crumbly. With mixer running, add egg. Mix until smooth dough forms that pulls away from sides of bowl. Form dough into 6-inch round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
Dust rolling surface and rolling pin with cake flour. Roll dough into 14-inch circle, about 3/16-inch thick. Press dough into tart pan and trim edges to leave 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang into pan and press against edge of pan to form slightly thickened sides. Refrigerate or freeze pastry until cold and firm, about 30 minutes.
Press piece of heavy aluminum foil into cold crust and over edges of tart pan. Fill with raw rice, dried beans or metal pie weights. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees 15 minutes. Carefully remove pie weights and aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake about 15 minutes longer until edges of pastry are light brown and center is golden. Cool crust in pan.
To prepare filling, stir together mascarpone, cream and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in orange and lemon zests and vanilla. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Whisk mixture vigorously until thickened, about 30 seconds. Spread filling evenly in cooled crust.
Heat water and jam in small saucepan over low heat until jam melts, stirring often. Set aside to cool. Place raspberries evenly over mascarpone filling. Lightly brush jam glaze on raspberries. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve cold.
Note: Top this tart with any berry or sliced fruit as each comes into season. Mascarpone, an Italian specialty, is rich, sweet cheese similar in texture to very thick sour cream. It is usually found in the dairy section of supermarkets.
Pub Date: 7/15/98