Spring Fruit And Mixed Berry Gratin Food

SUMMER FRUIT CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry:
• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough The other disk of dough can be frozen.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
• For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas) .
• For the filling:
• Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
• Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.
• Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MIXED BERRY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.
• Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)
• Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
• Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the berries lightly. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.
• Sweetened Whipped Cream:
• Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat!
• Yield: 1 cup
• Triple Raspberry Sauce:
• Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.
• Yield: 2 cups

GRATIN OF SUMMER BERRIES

Steps:

• Scatter the berries into medium remekins or a large, shallow heatproof dish, preferably in a single layer. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, cover and chill until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, break up the chocolate into a small heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a pan until almost boiling, then pour onto the chocolate. Leave for 3 mins, then stir slowly until dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature until thickened.
• To serve, heat the grill for a good 5 mins until glowing hot. Spoon the chocolate cream over the berries, sprinkle over the icing sugar and place under the grill. Grill for 2-3 mins until the sauce begins to brown, turning the dish if necessary. Remove and serve immediately.

SUMMER BERRY GRATIN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, and sugar.
• In another bowl, beat egg and yolk until pale and fluffy. Add dry ingredients slowly; beat until pale and fluffy again, about 2 minutes.
• In a small, heavy-bottomed stainless-steel saucepan, scald milk. Slowly add half of it to egg-flour mixture, beating constantly. Add this mixture to remaining milk in saucepan, and cook over a very low flame, whisking constantly. When mixture bubbles and thickens, remove from heat, and continue whisking for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in vanilla and butter. Refrigerate until chilled. (The dessert can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead.)
• Preheat broiler. Fold mascarpone into custard and divide among gratin dishes. Press berries into custard. Sift confectioners' sugar over tops and set on a cookie sheet. Broil on top rack until evenly browned, about 2 minutes. Let cool 1 minute and serve.

FRESH BERRY GRATIN

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Toss fruit gently with sugar, kirsch (if using), and salt in medium nonreactive bowl and transfer to 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan.
• Pulse bread, butter, sugar, and cinnamon in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses.
• Sprinkle crumbs evenly over fruit and bake until crumbs are deep golden brown and fruit is hot, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack 5 minutes and serve.

MIXED BERRY GRATIN

Steps:

• Place berries and sugar in a 6-cup ovenproof dish, toss gently to combine.
• Place sour cream, eggs and flour in a bowl and whisk to combine, then pour over berries.
• Bake gratin at 180c for 30 minutes or until top is firm and light golden.
• Serve warm with thick cream.

VANILLA-BROWN BUTTER CAKE WITH SPRING FRUIT AND BERRY COMPOTE, MINT OIL AND TOASTED MARSHMALLOW SAUCE

Steps:

• For the vanilla brown butter cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 13-by-18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, all-purpose flour and egg whites and mix on low until the ingredients combine without any visible lumps, approximately 1 minute.
• Meanwhile, put the butter and scraped vanilla bean seeds in a 2-quart saucepan and cook on high heat, whisking occasionally. As the mixture cooks, the butter will begin to brown and it will start to smell amazing, about 15 minutes! The longer the butter and vanilla stay on the heat, the more "nutty" the final flavor will become. So cook it to your preference. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, reserving the brown butter.
• Turn the stand mixer to the lowest speed and stream the hot brown butter into the batter, mixing for approximately 2 minutes.
• Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking sheet and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then cut into rectangles about 4 inches by 1 1/2 inches.
• For the toasted marshmallow sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add the corn syrup to the sugar/water mixture. If there are any granules of sugar on the side of the saucepan, brush them down using a pastry brush dipped in water.
• Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks appear, then turn the mixer down to medium speed.
• Place the saucepan on medium-high heat and cook the sugar mixture to thread stage, approximately 234 degrees F. Turn the stand mixer to high speed and stream in the cooked sugar. Continue to mix the meringue on high speed until the outside of the bowl feels cool to the touch, approximately 5 minutes.
• For the spring fruit and berry compote: Combine the blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, figs, granulated sugar and mint in a mixing bowl and toss together. Let stand at least 5 minutes
• For the mint oil: Put the oil and mint in a blender and blend for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a saucepan, slowly bring to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain with a fine-mesh strainer, then let cool. Transfer the cooled mixture to a squeeze bottle.
• To assemble: Spoon and drag about 2 tablespoons of the marshmallow onto each plate and toast the top with a kitchen blowtorch. Place a rectangle of cake on top of each, then divide the fruit among the cakes. Decorate the plates with the mint oil from the squeeze bottle.

FRUIT GRATIN

Steps:

• Clean the fruits, remove the stone of the peaches and chop in cubes.
• Put all the fruit in an oven-proof dish.
• Top with the crumbled macaroons.
• Mix the orange juice with the lemon zest and sprinkle over the fruit and cookies and leave for about half an hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Whisk the egg whites in a very clean bowl, when stiff add the sugar gradually with the vanilla essence, whisk untill glossy.
• Spread the egg whites on top of the fruit and cookie mixture, try to pattern it a bit.
• Bake for approx 10 minutes (keep an eye on it) until colored to your liking.
• Serve garnished with mint and a scoop of ice cream (optional).

SPRING FRUIT AND MIXED BERRY GRATIN

Steps:

• GRAND MARNIER: In a large satinless steel bowl, combine eggs and suager, mix until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Place over pan of simmering water, whisk until thick. Let cool. SPRING FRUIT: Combine all fruit and divide evenly into oven-safe dishes. Just before serving, spoon sabayon over fruit. Gratinee in the broiler or with a torch. Garnish with mint and shaved chocolate.