It helps that we have blueberry bushes in our backyard, but ours aren't constant producers, so we get about one good bucket full and the bushes take a break for a year. Therefore, I do buy blueberries when we run out of what our bushes make. This year I'll get even fewer berries since a wasp couple decided that the third blueberry bush looked like prime real estate to build a nest. This annoys me and I now feel very skeptical about my berry bushes since I'm concerned I'll be pelted while walking around my backyard. So... if you do not have your own blueberry bushes, don't worry. I'll be buying berries along side you.
We made 2 red, white, and blue desserts this weekend, and one just blue desserts. Our Costco was carrying a 2lb container of strawberries, and a 1lb container of raspberries for a good deal so I indulged. Buying them in bulk was cheaper than buying them in the store, but raspberries go bad so gosh darn fast that it was almost a waste to buy them at all. That being said, we used them in just one recipe and then the kids ate the rest of them plain. The recipes we made were trifle cups, firework cheesecake brownies, and blueberry pie.
Trifle Cups: (I did not get a picture of these, but trust me when I say they were super festive and my kids swooned over them!)
Things to Gather:
6 short glass cups
1 cup of blueberries (washed and dried)
1 cup of strawberries (washed, dried, and quartered)
1/2 cup raspberries (washed and dried)
Cream Cheese Custard Frosting (recipe follows)
Things to Do:
Layer some blueberries in the bottom of each cup. Spoon some cream cheese frosting over the blueberries (I spread it out to make a full layer). Add strawberries and raspberries on top of cream cheese mixture in each cup. Add a final layer of cream cheese frosting on top. (If you want, you can add a few blueberries on top to make it look extra festive.) Refrigerate for at least an hour until the cream cheese frosting sets.
Cream Cheese Custard Frosting
1 8 oz package cream cheese (softened)
1/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 c milk (or heavy cream)
Splash of vanilla extract (I never measure this)
With a hand mixer, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add in milk (or cream) and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
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Firework Cheesecake Brownies
Things to Gather:
Brownies
Cream Cheese Custard Frosting (recipe above)
Blueberries (washed and dried)
Strawberries (washed and dried)
Things to Do:
Make brownies on a cookie sheet (I lined mine with foil, but I should have used parchment paper because the brownies stuck to the foil terribly, even though I sprayed it with non-stick spray). I always make my own brownies (I use this recipe and just add everything in a bowl instead of making it in bags), but you can definitely use a box mix if you'd like. Make sure you make the recipe for a 13x9 batch, but pour the batter onto the lined cookie sheet to bake. Watch your time closely because brownies made on a cookie sheet won't cook in the same time frame as brownies made in a pan. Note: If you follow the homemade recipe using the link above, make sure you double the ingredients. I did not do so, and ended up with brownies that were only 1/4 inch thick which is code for: pointless.
Make a batch of the cream cheese custard frosting while brownies are cooling. Once brownies are cooled, spread the frosting over the top of the brownies. You'll want to add your berries while the frosting is soft so that the berries can stick. We made kind of a firework pattern. Once you've decorated the brownies, stick the sheet in the fridge for everything to set. I had extra berries, so I used some strawberry halves and stuck 3 blueberries on a line of frosting down the middle of the berries and used these to decorate the blank space on my platter. My kids actually thought these berries were the best part and didn't too much care for the brownies themselves, but it looked festive!
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Blueberry Pie
Things to Gather:
Blueberry Filling:
4 c. fresh blueberries (washed and dried)
1/2 c sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/2 c AP flour
1/4 c lemon juice
Pie Crust:
2 1/2 c AP flour
1 1/4 t salt
6 T chilled and cubed butter
3/4 c chilled vegetable shortening
Things to Do:
Crust:
Mix the 2 1/2 c flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add butter and shortening. Use a pastry cutter to combine the butter and shortening into the flour until it resembles coarse meal (pea sized crumbs). Measure 1/2 c ice water and drizzle it in 1 tablespoon at a time while stirring with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Stop adding water when dough begins to form large crumbs (Note: can add extra 1/4 c ice water in dry winter months). Combine dough into a ball (I use clean hands and just combine it in the bowl but you can transfer dough to a floured work surface if easier to combine out of the bowl). Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into a one-inch-thick disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes minimum (2 hours is better-- or up to 5 days).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When rolling each disc, use gentle force with rolling pin. Start in center and work your way out in all directions, turning dough with your hands as you go. Carefully ease one rolled out crust onto 9" pie plate, careful not to stretch the dough. Cut or pinch excess dough off edges of pie plate.
Filling:
Mix blueberries, 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c flour and lemon juice in large bowl. Spoon this mixture into the pie dough, scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
Carefully roll and ease the 2nd rolled dough disc onto the top of blueberry mixture and pinch dough layers together and edge of pie plate. Cut 3 slits for steam to escape. Sprinkle with sugar. Place pie plate on lined baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes til top is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This was the first time using this pie crust recipe (adapted from here), and we LOVE how this pie turned out! I'd make another one but 4 cups of blueberries is a lot of berries to acquire. :)
Avery approved!
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It was fun to put together festive holiday-themed snacks and my kids loved every minute of it. Michael was insistent of having a blueberry pie, and he helped make the crust. Both boys chose the berry trifle as their snack twice in a day, and I'm always happy for anything that makes them willingly choose fruit to eat. I'll definitely be making the trifles again (probably without raspberries) and they'd make such a pretty presentation at a family dinner over the summer!
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
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