Thursday, July 8, 2010

Blackberry Gratin

While I was making dinner from Sunday Suppers at Lucques, I noticed a simple, summery dessert that I could whip up at the same time. And, coming to think of it, I never do that. I never set out to make a meal including dessert all in one go. Dessert, or most of it depending on what it is, is always made in advance, but this one really is easy enough to prepare right along with dinner. It’s a custard with creme fraiche that’s poured over berries and then gratineed under the broiler. Once browned, it can sit patiently at room temperature while you enjoy your main course. Now speaking of that browning step, I’ve noticed that organic sugar doesn’t behave quite the same as regular sugar. In this case, confectioner’s sugar was suggested, and I used an organic brand, and I don’t think it browned as well as it could have. Deborah Madison confirmed the fact in her book Seasonal Fruit Desserts that for browning or bruleeing, regular sugar works better, but I’m not sure why that is. At any rate, these little desserts only sit under the broiler long enough to become bubbly and a little browned, so it didn’t matter much here.

An easy custard was made with warmed milk slowly whisked into a mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. That was returned to a saucepan and thickened. Butter and salt were added while it was warm, and then the custard was chilled in the refrigerator for a bit. Once cool, creme fraiche was folded into it. In the book, the dessert is made with raspberries, but I had blackberries, and any kind of berries or really just about any fruit would work. In the intro to the recipe, sauteed apples or pears with dried fruit is suggested for a winter version of this. The blackberries were tossed with a little granulated sugar and then scattered in ramekins in my case. The dessert can also be made in one, larger gratin dish. The custard was spooned over the berries, more berries were placed on top, confectioner’s sugar was sifted over each ramekin, and they were placed under the broiler for about seven minutes. I dusted them with a little more confectioner’s sugar before serving.

What you get is a warm, vanilla pudding with a partially browned, set surface, rich, tangy flavor from creme fraiche, and warm, juicy berries. If you wanted to do what I usually do which is to have dessert mostly ready long before I start tackling dinner preparations, you could just refrigerate the gratins until you’re ready to broil them right before serving. Either way, it’s a simple dessert that has me looking forward to other seasonal variations.



35 comments:

  1. Lisa, these blackberry gratin looks fantastic! A seriously good summer berry dessert.

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  2. I rarely make dessert, and like you, it's something that I make in advance. Nice to have a quick option like this. Plus, it's so elegant - like many of recipes in that book!

    Thanks, Lisa... you are a constant source of inspiration for me...

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  3. oh God, that look good! I am drooling... I love blackberries!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. What a fabulous summer dessert. I have some egg yolks just waiting to be used.

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  5. My family likes a dessert, not a heavy one, but just like this. You did a marvelous job with the blackberry gratins, Lisa. Unusual to add creme fraiche to the custard.
    I love that cookbook. Were you the one who mentioned it to me? I really have enjoyed it.

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  6. That looks delicious, but I do find it intriguing why organic sugar would behave differently when bruleed... Strange really. It's still sugar right?

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  7. Oooh, I'm going to have to look for this in my copy at home. I love easy dessert like this that make the most of summer fruit.

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  8. This looks like something I wanna keep for myself..hee

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  9. I have blackberries that grow in my back yard, they should be changing colour soon (right now they are white--babies). I would love to try making these.
    *kisses* HH

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  10. That looks absolutely delicious!

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  11. lovely. i enjoy your description of the finished goods--a warm vanilla pudding sounds pretty scrumptious! and i concur--the variations are endless and exciting. :)

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  12. Seasonal Fruit Desserts is one on my wish-list, given my passion of baking with fruit! Your little custard pots look beautiful indeed!

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  13. Yum, simple delicious and just darn tasty. I love that book, and now that I've seen all those gorgeous blackberries in the market, this will be added to the dessert rotation really soon.

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  14. You had me at blackberries. Then had me again at vanilla pudding. This sounds so good, and you're right - it would work well with other seasonal fruit, too, I'm guessing.

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  15. A very elegant yet simple dessert; love love love blackberries; actually I am checking on the wild bushes here to see when I can pluck them.

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  16. We have been buying blackberries every week. This looks so delicious and I would love to try it sometime.

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  17. Mmmmm...That looks really good. I think this would be a perfect dessert to start out the weekend.

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  18. That picture of the unbaked custard looks like pure sin!

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  19. This looks beautiful... Perfect photos :) I could eat blackberries on everything!

    By the way, I found you through Eats Well With Others. Love your blog!

    Sues

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  20. It is not easy to find blackberry here. The dessert looks so mouth-watering!

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  21. This is the perfect little dessert! I love blackberries :)

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  22. I love desserts that are made in single servings so that everyone gets their own dessert. Adorable!

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  23. hi Lisa
    what a perfect dessert, and I do love Blackberries!! I really like the idea of adding in creme fraiche, what a nice touch!
    thanks so much for sharing this wonderful creamy blackberry gratin!
    Dennis

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  24. Blackberry gratin looks luscious and creamy! Divine!

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  25. Just one thing - I'm rushing to get me some blackberries and make this asap.

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  26. OMG Lisa, how delicious this treats are.

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  27. The fruits "gratin" looks great...I think that the regular, non organic sugar "behaves" better in browning. In general, I think, in passtries, non organic ingredients (white flour, sugar and so on) make your dessert healthier, but it is difficult to "work" with them...

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  28. I usually make dessert the day before too! These look so creamy and the little individual servings are so perfect for guests - yum!

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  29. Oh...oh...I can't even begin to tell you how much I love these. I have always wanted to make gratin and blackberry...wow...Lisa these are fabulous!

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  30. This looks amazing! A perfect dessert for now.

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  31. this looks and sounds amazing, I always find it a bit challenging to prepare dinner and dessert at the same time, so love those recipes that can be made ahead and still taste fresh and amazing.

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  32. I love deborah madison! this fruit dessert looks amazing!

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  33. Wow! Luscious, creamy, rich - there aren't enough adjectives to describe how wonderful this dessert is! Simple yet so versatile, going from summer to winter flavors - I love it!

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