Berry your tastebuds in some fruitful recipes this month! It never hurts to indulge your sweet tooth once in a while, and these berry and fruit–centered award-winning recipes are sure to take your summer to a new height. Make them for your friends or family, or even just for yourself, we will not judge!
BERRY BRUSSELS SPROUT SLAW
Juliana Black
Garland, TX
1st Place – Farm to Fork
Ingredients:
12 oz. trimmed Brussels sprouts
6 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. lemon zest
¼ c. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
1 T. honey
4 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Celtic salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 diced Granny Smith apple
2 T. dried cranberries
2 T. dried blueberries
2 T. dried gogi berries
3 oz. feta crumbles
2 T. mixed raisins
¼ c. apple cider vinegar (orange & cherry flavored)
⅓ c. pistachio nuts
Thinly slice one pound of trimmed Brussels sprouts using a mandolin or food processor fitted with the slicer attachment. Transfer sliced Brussels sprouts to a salad bowl. In a shaker bottle, add six tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, one tablespoon lemon zest, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper, honey, salt, and pepper. Shake the bottle to combine the ingredients. Add one diced Granny Smith apple, berries, feta cheese, and raisins to the Brussels sprouts. Next, add Parmesan cheese and apple cider vinegar, toss to coat, and top with pistachio nuts.
CHOCOLATE PAVLOVA WITH BERRIES AND CREAM
Kate Rovner
Plano, TX
2nd Place – Chocolate
Ingredients:
Pavlova:
1 ½ c. sugar
¾ c. egg whites
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ c. Dutch processed cocoa
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
⅛ tsp. salt
1-2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, grated
Preheat your oven to 350°. Draw a 9-inch circle in center of parchment paper and place upside down on baking sheet. To make the Swiss meringue, heat 1-inch of water until it simmers in a saucepan. Whisk sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over simmering water. Whisk for five to eight minutes until sugar is dissolved and temperature registers at least 160°, then remove from the heat. Place on stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and whip on high until stiff peaks form, then scrape the bowl. Stir in vinegar and vanilla and sift in cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Fold until mostly combined, then fold in chopped chocolate. Spread meringue in the circle on prepared baking sheet. Place in oven and immediately turn temperature down to 300° and bake for one to one and a half hours until exterior is dry. Turn the oven off, prop the oven door open, and let pavlova cool completely in oven.
Topping:
5 c. blackberries, blueberries, & raspberries
1 T. sugar
Pinch salt
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ c. warm
2 T. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
In a large bowl, toss berries with sugar and salt and mix well. In a separate bowl, microwave chocolate until melted and smooth. In another separate bowl, whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. To serve, place pavlova on a serving platter, then spoon the sweetened whipped cream into the center. Next, spoon berries over cream, then drizzle with melted chocolate. Let it sit for at least five minutes or up to one hour, and slice and serve. This recipe yields about 12 servings.
BERRIES AND CREAM PIE
Kate Ronver
Plano, TX
1st Place – Pie Contest
Ingredients:
Almond-Shortbread Crust:
¾ c. finely chopped pecans
7 T. butter
1 box of Murray brand sugar free shortbread cookies, processed into crumbs (about 1 ½ c.)
Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with no-stick spray, then toast pecans for five to 10 minutes until fragrant and set it aside. To make the pecan-shortbread crust, melt butter by microwaving it in a bowl. Add shortbread crumbs and pecans and toss together until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and sides of pie pan, then freeze for 15 minutes or longer. Bake for 12 minutes until fragrant and remove from oven and cool completely.
Blueberry Filling:
½ c. Splenda
4 tsp. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
4 ¼ c. blueberries, divided use
1 T. lemon juice
In a saucepan, whisk together Splenda, cornstarch, and salt. In a food processor, process two cups of blueberries until smooth. Strain into the mixture in saucepan and whisk. Bring the mixture to a simmer while whisking constantly and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice. Set aside two tablespoons of the purée for the cream cheese topping, then stir the remaining blueberries into the purée. Spoon evenly into prepared shortbread crust.
Cream Cheese Topping:
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese
¼ c. Splenda
1 tsp. Whip-lt whipped cream stabilizer (opt.)
1 c. cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. reserved blueberry filling
In bowl of a stand mixer, whip cream cheese and Splenda until very smooth. Slowly pour in cream and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. In a decorating bag fitted with a large, closed star tip, make three vertical stripes of the reserved filling up the sides of the bag. Fill bag with cream cheese topping. Pipe rosettes, covering filling. Pipe stars in any gaps between rosettes. Refrigerate at least four hours and up to 24 hours, then serve. Store in refrigerator.
BLUEBERRY CORNBREAD
Robert Crook
Richardson, TX
2nd Place -Bread Contest
Ingredients:
1 c. cornmeal (5 oz.) + 1 ½ T., for coating pan
1 ½ c. (7 ½ oz.) all-purpose flour
¾ c. granulated sugar (5¼ oz.) + 1½ T.
2 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1 c. whole milk
12 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 Ig. eggs
2 c. (10 oz.) blueberries
Preheat oven to about 375°. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and dust the pan with 1 ½ tablespoons cornmeal, then set aside. Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl for your dry ingredients. In a second separate bowl, whisk milk, butter, and eggs for your liquid ingredients. Pour and stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined well. Fold in blueberries and pour contents into the prepared pan, then smooth the surface with an offset spatula and sprinkle with 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar. Bake 40 to 45 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. Cornbread should be golden brown. Cool on a wire rack in pan 20 minutes before unmolding and serving.
BACCARAT GLASS FRUIT
Jessica Stephens
Canton, TX
1st Place – Candy
Ingredients:
4 c. white sugar
2 c. water
24 green grapes
24 blackberries
24 sliced mandarin oranges
Bowl of cold ice water
Rinse fruit and dry them, then add fruit to bamboo skewers. Add sugar and water to a deep medium or large pot, but do not stir. Heat on medium-high until it bubbles and the temperature gets to 300°, then remove pot of hot sugar from burner. Tilt the pot so it is deeper and easier to dip. Dip a skewer of fruit in the hot sugar until fully coated and allow excess to drain back into pot. Immediately dip it in a bowl of ice water and keep it submerged for a few seconds. Place the finished fruit skewers in a tall glass to dry.