Summer always provided joy growing up. Obviously school was out, but it was the bountiful varieties of vegetables that came of age, and the Abundance of berries that would crowd the fields around my stomping grounds.
Summer berries; raspberries, blueberries and strawberries was the candy of my childhood.
My mother was the recipient of my collections. Berries that I “harvested,” stored in the pockets of my shorts, thinking they could be retrieved when the time was just right, maybe as dessert later in the evening, or just as a snack, should I want a little treat.
Needless to say, fresh berries in pockets of a young boy is not a good idea, therefore I suggest different containers of storage, when storing and transporting fresh berries.
Later in life, I have come to enjoy a couple of great classics, that in my mind can never be forgotten..
Fresh Raspberry Shortcakes with fresh whipped Chantilly Cream
(Serves 8)
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine salt
1 stick (¼ lbs) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup buttermilk
¾ cup cold heavy cream
2 cups fresh raspberries (1 cup for assembly and 1 for shortcake)
In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea sized pieces of butter remaining. Transfer to a bowl and stir in heavy cream, buttermilk and raspberries. Do not over mix.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide dough into 8 portions and shape into rounds. Place, 11/2 inches apart, on a parchment lined baking sheet pan. Freeze for 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes, let cool completely on a wire rack. Once cold assemble.
Tahitian Vanilla Chantilly Cream
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1 Tahitian Vanilla Bean or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of Sugar
1 tiny pinch of fine salt
Cut vanilla bean in half, and with a small knife scrape out the tiny vanilla beans, add them to the heavy cream along with the sugar.
In a mixer, whip the cream until stiff and fluffy, add the salt stir and set aside.
To serve, Cut Shortcakes in half, Place a generous dollop of Chantilly Cream on top of the bottom half. Arrange and divide the raspberries on top of cream, add the top part of the shortcake.
Serve immediately.
A little trivia:
Some recipes for shortcake call for a sponge cake like recipe, which is not wrong, but different. The first berry shortcake recipe appeared in an English cook book as early as 1588.
The largest Shortcake ever made was in the town of La Trinidad, Benguet in the philipines in 2004. It weighed 21,213.40 lbs ( 9622.23 kilograms ).
“Clafoutis” is one of my favorites; anything berry and custard consistency is good in my book. Here is a favorite.
Black Cherry Clafoutis
(Serves 6)
For the crust.
1 stick unsalted butter (¼ lbs)
2/3 confectioners sugar
1 large egg yolk
Coarse salt
For the filling.
2 large eggs
2/3 cup crème fraiche
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
table salt
1 1/4 cups of black cherries, halved and pitted.
¼ cup g.ranulated sugar for glazing
Make the crust:
Beat butter and confectioner’s sugar with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add egg yolk, and mix until combined. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Set 6 4-inch tart rings on a parchment – lined baking sheet. Roll dough to 1/8 – inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 6 x 5 ½ inch circles. Press dough into bottoms and up sides of tart rings. Trim excess dough flush with edges of rings using a knife.
Prick bottoms of tart shells all over with a fork, refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Bake until pale golden, pressing down dough if puffing, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
Make the filling:
Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees. Gently whisk together eggs, crème fraiche, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of table salt. Divide mixture evenly among tart shells, and carefully drop cherry halves, cut side down,into each. Transfer to oven, and bake until just set 17 – 20 minutes. Let cool.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar, and with a torch caramelize the top of the “Clafoutis.”
Maybe serve with above mentioned Tahitian Vanilla Chantilly Cream, or your favorite ice cream.
Clafoutis originates from the Limousin region of France, and while black cherries are traditional. There are numerous variations available, should you desire a different fruit. Including plums, apples pears, cranberries, black berries or peaches just to name a few.
Some recipes encourage leaving the pit inside some of the cherries. The pits contain “Amygdalin,” the active chemical found in almond extract.
Adding a complimentary note to the flavor of the Clafoutis..
Enjoy.
Jan Jorgensen
TwoChefs Restaurant
