Fruit

Chocolate Mousse Loaf with Raspberry Purée

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Submitted by Beth Isola, from Southern Living, January 1997

  • 2  cups  whipping cream, divided
  • 2  (8-ounce) packages semisweet chocolate squares
  • 1/2  cup  light corn syrup
  • 1/2  cup  butter or margarine
  • 1/4  cup  sifted powdered sugar
  • 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • 1  (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed
  • Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, fresh raspberries

Line a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, extending edges of wrap over sides of pan; set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup whipping cream, chocolate squares, corn syrup, and butter in a heavy saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until chocolate melts. Cool.

Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan, and chill at least 8 hours.

Process raspberries in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Pour purée through a fine wire-mesh strainer, if desired, pressing with the back of a spoon; discard seeds. Chill.

Invert mousse loaf onto a serving platter, and remove plastic wrap. Slice loaf, and serve with raspberry puree. Garnish, if desired.

Makes 16 servings.

Buttermilk Scones

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Submitted by Maija Stromberg, originally from Julia Child.

Oven Temp: 425

Grease cookie sheet(s)

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ sticks butter, cut in small pieces
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • sugar, to sprinkle
  • Optional:  Chocolate chips or dried cherries or dried cranberries, etc.

Whisk dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a medium bowl.

Add butter. Mix with pastry blender or fork or whatever works.

Add buttermilk. Mix until combined. If the mixture is dry, add a little more buttermilk.

Knead a few times (Julia says a dozen) on a floured work surface.

Now you can divide the dough and roll it (or pat it) into two circles about ½ inch thick, 7 inches across. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Then cut into pie shaped pieces, transfer to cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Or: You can divide the dough into four chunks. Roll or pat the first chunk into a circle. Brush with butter, sprinkle chocolate chips (or cherries or cranberries…) on top, then roll out another circle of dough and put it on top of the first. I usually press the outside edges together. Then cut into pie shapes, transfer to cookie sheet, and bake 10-12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cherry Clafouti, A Delicious Custard Cake

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Submitted by Sandra Lederman

Slightly sweet and dense, cherry clafouti satisfied my sweet tooth this weekend. Clafouti is a french dessert with a custard-like base and fruit, most commonly cherries. The cake batter itself reminds me of crepes or pancakes, somewhat neutral in flavor.

I hadn’t made it in a long time and decided to whip it up using a package of frozen cherries. Although the end result was ok , clafouti is so much better when using fresh cherries. Lesson learned. Granted, the fact that I used frozen cherries didn’t stop me from devouring it quickly.

Feel free to experiment with the ingredients. Clafouti can be made with many types of fruit, so you re not limited to cherries. I’m sure this would be just as good with peaches or blueberries, maybe even plump red raspberries.

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon brandy
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 pound pitted cherries

Mix the cherries with 1/4 cup of the sugar and set aside. Select a skillet that is at least 1 1/2″ deep and grease it.

Mix together the eggs, remaining sugar, vanilla, almond extract, brandy, and milk. Slowly add the flour and mix until smooth.

Arrange half of the cherries on the bottom of the skillet with their juices. Pour batter over the top, then arrange remaining cherries on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

When the clafouti comes out of the oven it will be puffed nice and high, and as it cools it will deflate. This is all perfectly normal. It is best served warm with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or even a scoop of ice-cream. There’s no wrong way to eat it. Leftovers make for an amazing breakfast the next day!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

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From Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Makes 20 muffins

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries (2 half-pints)

FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and blend with your hands.  In an separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and eggs.  Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with at fork, mixing just until blended.  Fold the blueberries into the batter.  Don’t overmix!  With a standard (2 1/4 inch) ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.

For the topping, place all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces.  Pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly.  Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the streusel on top of each muffin.  Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Banana Bran Bread

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  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups bran
  • 3 cups mashed bananas
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 3 cups flour
  • 4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and beat until light.  Stir in bran.  Mix bananas with orange juice.  Sift together dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients alternately with bananas to creamed mixture, beating after each addition.  Fold in raisins.  Pour into greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Makes 2 loaves.

Sephardic Charoset (Haroseth)

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From The Gourmet Jewish Cook by Judy Zeidler

· ½ cup pitted dates

· 2 cups apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

· ½ cup dried apricots

· ½ cup chopped walnuts

In a medium saucepan, combine the dates, apples, and dried apricots. Add water to cover. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the mixture is tender enough to mash with a fork. Place the mixture in a processor and process, turning on and off until the mixture is blended. Do not puree. Just before serving, fold in the walnuts.

Makes about 2 ½ cups.