⅔ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh gingerAdditional heavy whipping cream
FILLING: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter six 1¼ -cup ramekins, custard cups, or baking dishes. Toss blackberries, sugar, flour, and lemon juice in large bowl to blend. Let stand while preparing biscuits, tossing occasionally.
BISCUITS: Whisk flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in another large bowl. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into flour mixture (reserve bean for another use). Add butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Stir ⅔ cup cream and ginger in glass measuring cup to blend. Pour cream mixture over flour mixture and stir with fork just until dough forms. Gather dough into ball; transfer to lightly floured work surface. Pat out dough to ⅓-inch-thick round. Using floured 3-inch-diameter cutter, cut out rounds for biscuits. Gather dough scraps; press out to ⅓-inch thickness and cut out additional rounds for 6 biscuits total.
Spoon filling into prepared dishes, dividing evenly. Top each with a biscuit. Brush biscuits lightly with cream; sprinkle each with ½ teaspoon sugar. Place cobblers on rimmed baking sheet and bake until filling bubbles thickly, tester inserted into center of biscuits comes out clean, and tops of biscuits are golden brown and firm all over, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and serve.
This easy crumble is sure to become a staple in your fall and winter dessert lineup: You just toss it together and it yields seemingly magical results. Sweet, floral Anjou pears are ideal for the filling, but Bartlett pears would be fine as a substitute. Typically, crumbles are served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but in this case, the subtle tang of sour cream perfectly balances the sweetness of the brown sugar in the topping and the pure maple syrup in the filling. 6 to 8 servings
Topping
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup walnuts
⅔ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
Filling
3½ pounds firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled, quartered, cored, cut into ½-inch cubes
⅔ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
Sour cream
TOPPING: Combine flour, walnuts, brown sugar, and butter in processor. Using on/off turns, process until walnuts are coarsely chopped and small moist clumps form. Transfer topping to medium bowl. Cover and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
FILLING: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Place pears, maple syrup, raisins, flour, lemon juice, and ginger in large bowl; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Transfer pear mixture to 13×9×2-inch baking dish; sprinkle topping over. Bake crumble until pears are tender, juices bubble thickly, and topping is golden and crisp, about 30 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Serve warm with sour cream.
Crumbles are traditional English desserts that have a sweet, streusel-like topping over a warm, bubbling mixture of sweetened fruit. They can be prepared with almost any fruit, but this springtime rendition features rhubarb accented with orange zest and juice and includes almonds in the topping for extra crunch. Makes 6
Topping
⅔ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup whole almonds
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
⅔ cup chopped toasted almonds
Filling
8 cups ½-inch pieces trimmed fresh rhubarb (about 2 pounds)
½ cup orange juice
6 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream
TOPPING: Combine flour, whole almonds, and both sugars in processor. Using on/off turns, blend mixture until almonds are finely ground. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in chopped toasted almonds.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
FILLING: Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine rhubarb, orange juice, 5 tablespoons sugar, and orange peel in heavy large saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook until rhubarb is tender but still intact, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to large bowl, leaving excess juices in saucepan. Blend flour and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in small bowl; whisk into juices in saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Return rhubarb to saucepan; toss to coat. Divide warm rhubarb mixture evenly among six 1¼-cup custard cups.
Sprinkle topping over filling in each cup, dividing equally. Bake crumbles until topping is deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on rack 15 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Cherry clafouti is a classic French country fruit-filled dessert. The texture of the filling is dense, a cross between a custard and a cake. 8 servings
1 cup sugar, divided
½ cup chilled mascarpone cheese or crème fraîche
½ cup heavy whipping cream, divided
2 tablespoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy), divided
1 pound frozen pitted sweet cherries, thawed
3 large eggs
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
Using electric mixer, beat 2 tablespoons sugar, mascarpone, ¼ cup cream, and 1 tablespoon kirsch in medium bowl until peaks form. Cover and chill topping until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar to coat. Place cherries in single layer in dish. Place eggs and ¾ cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; reserve bean for another use. Whisk until blended and frothy. Whisk in sour cream, milk, remaining ¼ cup cream, and remaining 1 tablespoon kirsch. Sift flour over and whisk to blend. Pour batter over cherries. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Bake clafouti until puffed, golden brown, and set in center, about 35 minutes. Serve clafouti warm or at room temperature with mascarpone topping.Market Tip: Rhubarb …… is actually a vegetable, but it’s usually treated like a fruit and eaten in desserts. At the market, look for thin, deep-red stalks with just a tinge of green. They’ll give the most colorful, tender, and tasty results. Avoid the leaves, which are toxic.