Tags: Party Planning Quick Recipes Surviving Summer Sweet Tooth
We’re at the tail end of berry season, and as always, I have a kitchen filled with berries waiting to be washed and eaten. While Liev is a little berry eating machine, even he can’t eat all these berries (or at least he shouldn’t because they’ll end up going straight through him…if you know what I mean). I have some set aside for jam, the side of my brownies tonight (makes them healthy, right?), and tomorrows oatmeal, but what to do with all the extras? Luckily, I have a plan.
Several years ago I was working at a law firm in San Francisco. One year, for our annual Christmas party, they booked a party at this really cool circus dinner theater down on one of the piers. We basically enjoyed a small-scale Cirque du Soleil show (with a twinge of cabaret) while we enjoyed a wonderful multi-course meal. So much fun!
For dessert, each guest was served a plate of frozen berries and a small carafe of hot white chocolate sauce meant to be poured over the berries. I poured the chocolate sauce over the berries, stirred it around a bit, put a spoonful in my mouth and just about fell out of my chair. It was soooooo delicious!!
That was years ago, but I’ve made that same dessert about a million and a half times since. It’s so simple and yet so decadent. It proves that a recipe doesn’t need to be complicated or comprise a hundred steps and a million dirty dishes to be mind-blowingly delicious. You simply wash your berries, lay them out on a parchment covered sheet pan and pop in the freezer. I let mine freeze overnight. Right before you’re ready to serve, throw your chocolate and cream in the microwave for a minute or two and serve. As Ina would say, “How easy is that?”
Now, you can serve the berries with the chocolate sauce already mixed in, but I like a bit of drama, so I let my guests pour the sauce on themselves. I serve the berries on a platter and the sauce in a gravy boat.
Side Note: Another reason I like to serve the berries and sauce separately is because once the frozen berries have been sitting out for a few minutes, they develop this beautiful frosty covering. I think they look stunning…almost magical. They say you eat with your eyes first, right? I don’t know who, but someone said that.
Now don’t they look stunning?!
FROZEN BERRIES WITH WARM CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
1 lb. mixed berries, washed
7 oz. white chocolate* (try to get your hands on high quality chocolate, if you can)
1 cup heavy cream
Spread your berries out on two large sheet pans. Place in freezer and let freeze for about 4 hours.
Make the chocolate sauce just before serving:
Combine the chocolate and cream in a glass, heat-proof bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes. Stirring every thirty seconds, until completely smooth.
To serve, simply pour all that heavenly chocolatey goodness directly over the frozen berries and enjoy!
*Try to get your hands on high-quality chocolate if you can. I’m a Ghirardelli fan, but I’ve used Lindt & Guittard with excellent results.
NOTE: Dark chocolate can also be used instead of white chocolate. It’s not as pretty when served, but just as delicious.
