Berry tasty
I love you berry much and you’re berry awesome. We’ve run out of puns for berries, but what you won’t run out of this season are just that... berries!
Winter can be quite a trouble if you’re not a fan of the chill in the air, but there is always something amazing about this season. And since berries are found in abundance now, why not make the most of it?
Strawberries, mulberries, rasberries, blueberries... the list seems endless and the recipes are yes simply fantastic. But what is more fascinating about these simple fruits is that they are not just interesting to cook but the fact that they come packed with so many nutrients.
For me, the idea of a strawberry was completely different until I happened to taste it. From the looks of the fruit, I never expected that it would have this sweet and tangy flavour to it... and I’ll tell you, this innocent looking fruit will always keep you on your toes while cooking.
Unlike other fruits, there is no way to judge a strawberry until we get to taste it and so it becomes very important to adjust the sugar content and the other ingredients based on how the fruit tastes, that is a huge challenge!
Mulberries, on the other hand, (found abundantly in Hyderabad, I just realised) are as sweet as they look. Their subtle sweet undertones make the berry a delight to work with and it complements a lot of desserts! And this is why I chose these two berries and have created three simple recipes that will be a hit at any party that you host! Winter brings with it many miseries, but I’m pretty sure that these berries are not one of them!
— As told to Priyanka Praveen
Strawberry mascarpone stracciatella
Ingredients
For Mascarpone cream
3 egg yolks
100 gm castor sugar
1 vanilla pod
250 gm whipped double cream
250 gm mascarpone cheese
250 gm chocolate (finely scraped or made into thin sheets)
250 gm fresh strawberries cut into halves
Method
For mascarpone cream
Whip the egg yolks, 50 gm castor sugar and vanilla pod (keep a bit of the vanilla scraping from the pod for the macerated strawberries) on a double boiler. Remove from the heat, let it cool and add the mascarpone cheese and mix well. Add whipped cream and fold carefully.
For macerated strawberries
Mix sugar, strawberry halves, vanilla bean scrapping and macerate for 30 minutes. Use your imagination to assemble this simple yet flavourful dessert. This (above) is one way you can present.
Strawberry cobbler
Ingredients
100 gm fresh strawberry
100 gm flour
2 gm baking powder
100 gm castor sugar
2 eggs
100 gm + some for greasing butter
Method
For the cobbler: Pre-heat the oven to 1800C. Meanwhile, butter a ceramic bowl, spread the halved strawberries in it and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and castor sugar. Add the eggs, softened butter and mix till crumbly and till all the ingredients are incorporated.
Spread this over the strawberries. Top with remaining halves of strawberries. Bake until the top is golden and the mixture is bubbling. Remove from the oven, it can be served warm or at room temperature. It goes well with vanilla ice cream.
Blanc mange with mulberries
Ingredients
100 gm blanched deskinned almonds
250 ml milk
125 gm castor sugar
3 gelatine sheets
300 ml double cream
100 gm mulberries
Method
Make a fine powder of almonds and set aside. Meanwhile, let the milk simmer on low heat then add almond powder, let it boil till it is combined well, then add castor sugar and let it dissolve in mixture.
Strain through a muslin, reserve almond sediments for later use. Bloom the gelatine sheet and add it to the strained mixture. Meanwhile, whip cream and fold it in. Set in a mould or glass, serve chilled and top with fresh mulberries.