A few years ago I saw a Barefoot Contessa TV segment and I picked up a recipe she demonstrated. It has stuck with me for all this time.
As for my personal touch: I add some Grand Mariner to turn up the volume.
It’s a perfect summer time dessert. And the best news is that you can do most of the time-consuming prep in advance…and leave only the final finishing touch for when you are ready to serve.
Take about 2 ¼ lb fresh raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Wash them, and dry them well. Then spread them out on a flat tray. Put the whole tray in the freezer. Every so often, check the berries, and make sure they are not sticking to each other. When the berries are completely frozen, you can transfer them to a sealed container or ziplock bag and put them back in the freezer for use later.
A few minutes before you are ready to serve dessert, you take out the berries and distribute them on each dessert plate or in dessert bowls. In a double boiler, melt white chocolate (1 ¼ lb) and heavy cream (2 ½ cups), vanilla extract (2 tbsp) and a dash of Grand Mariner Liquor. When chocolate is completely melted, spoon the warm mixture over the frozen berries and serve immediately.
The heat of the white chocolate mixture on top of the surprising element of frozen berries and their texture always makes my guest do a double-take. The vanilla and Grand Mariner in the chocolate mixture raise the bar to the perfect high notes of this dessert.
I always tend to have frozen berries in my freezer and white chocolate in my pantry – so this is an easy dessert to come up with at a short notice. The recipe also comes in handy when I find myself with more berries in the house than I need. I immediately freeze them for a later use.
Do let me know if you tried making this dessert and if you experimented with any variations.
