Dan's Papers - August 1, 2008 - Simple Art of Cooking

While I've made a few desserts over many years of teaching cooking, I have always leaned toward the savory rather than the sweet. Perhaps it's my aversion to measuring. Yet I enjoy a good dessert, especially when it's home made.

At a recent dinner party, my hostess prepared a goat cheesecake over run with berries and cream. This unusual and especially delicious, not at all sweet, cake intrigued me. The timing couldn't be more perfect as my dessert article was in the planning stage where each recipe would incorporate berries in one way or another. I might be a tad late for local raspberries, but blueberries and blackberries are currently lining the shelves of your local farm stands. The antioxidant activity of blueberries is thought to protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process. Blueberries and blackberries are also a great source of vitamin C.

The simplicity of preparing the delectable blueberry sauce is also a gift since it will last for weeks in the refrigerator and it's ready when you are to spoon over ice cream, sorbet or whatever you fancy. For a bit of glamour on your summer dessert table, prepare a berry trifle with layers of store-bought pound cake lightly brushed with lemon syrup, raspberry preserve, whipped cream and of course lots of mixed berries.

Now about that goat cheesecake - I was delighted when my friend, a very busy gal in the corporate world of fashion, shared the recipe with me from a late '90s issue of Food & Wine magazine. Barbara, who has precious little time to spend in the kitchen, and her husband Richard love to entertain - and I'm pleased to be on their guest list.

DELECTABLE BLUBERRY SAUCE
Simple, quick and a delight to know it's ready when you are. Serve over your favorite vanilla ice cream or sliced lemony pound cake - or both.
Yield: 2 pints

2 pints plus 1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Zest and juice from 1 navel orange
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Place blueberries in a colander and pick them over for any bruised berries and stems. Rinse and place 2 pints (reserve 1 cup) in a 1-quart saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently to mix. Place over medium heat and bring the mixture to the edge of a boil. Adjust heat and cook at a brisk simmer for 5 minutes and stir in additional 1 cup blueberries. Serve warm or let cool and refrigerate in a suitable container.

2. When ready to serve, reheat to drizzle over ice cream or serve at room temperature.

SUMMER BERRY TRIFLE
A delicious way to serve up fresh summer berries.
Serve 8-10

For the lemon syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons lemon juice

For the trifle
1 pint each raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped with 2 teaspoons confectioner's sugar
1 (12-ounce) store-bought pound cake
Lemon syrup
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

1. Combine lemon syrup ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Adjust heat and simmer with a brisk surface bubble about 10-12 minutes until a light syrup results. Let cool.

2. Rinse the berries quickly under a spray of cool tap water. Let drain in a colander for several minutes then gently spread out on paper towels to dry. Transfer berries to a bowl and reserve about 1 cup to garnish the trifle.

3. In a cold bowl with cold beaters whip the cream, gradually adding the sugar after cream is partially whipped. Continue whipping until firm peaks form. Be careful not to over beat.

4. To assemble trifle, cut pound cake into 1/2 - inch slices. Arrange one-third slices in bottom of glass trifle bowl and sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons lemon syrup. Dollop one-third raspberry preserves over the cake then spread to sides of bowl. Top with one-third mixed berries over the preserves then one-third of the whipped cream over the berries. Repeat this procedure 2 more times. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or up to one day ahead. Garnish with dollops of cream and reserved berries.

GOAT CHEESE CAKE WITH MIXED BERRIES
The succulent sweet taste of blackberries, the sweet crunch of blueberries and the mild tartness of raspberries give this unique cake a sweet finish.
Serves 8

11 ounces mild fresh goat cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar plus extra to dust baking pan
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs, separated
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 pint each blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and dust with granulated sugar.

1. Combine the goat cheese with granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla in a stand-up electric mixer or with electric hand beaters, beat mixture at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks, 2 at time, incorporating them completely before adding the next batch. Beat in the flour at low speed.

2. In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until firm but not dry. Fold one-third of the white into the goat cheese mixture to soften, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cake can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated suitably wrapped.

3. When ready to serve whip the cream in a cold bowl with cold beaters until firm peaks form. Do not over beat. Invert the cake onto a large serving plate. Arrange the berries on top and sift confectioners' sugar over the berries. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Above recipe adapted from Food & Wine magazine, August, 1998.