I have written before that if I must choose between salty and sweet, salty wins hands down.  But every once in a while, I will have a craving for a small, sweet bite.  I feel much better eating sweets when there is fruit involved and when I was at the farmer’s market the other day, I happened upon some of the most beautiful raspberries, so it was impossible to leave empty handed.  Raspberries peak June to October and when shopping for them, look for ones that are plump and deep in color.

When making desserts with fruits, I like to make things that bring back childhood memories, usually involving cobblers and crumbles.  My sister and I would pick blackberries from our backyard on Sunday afternoons and Mom would make cobblers and crumbles from the fruits of our labor.

Few things are better than the smell of a berry crumble baking in the oven.  I know a watched pot never boils, but I sometimes can’t help kneeling and peering in the oven just to catch a glimpse of the the sweet and tart juices bumbling and the crumbs browning…The oatmeal crumb topping in this crumble recipe adds an extra health benefit which equals even less guilt (if you are so inclined to have it!).

Again, using only five key ingredients, this recipe may be simple, but it tastes nothing short of scrumptious.  These Raspberry-Oatmeal Crumbles are sure to enliven even those with the most liberal of sweet spots!

Raspberry-Oatmeal Crumbles

Ingredients:

2 pints fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon, plus two teaspoons organic sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup organic oats

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoon organic butter, diced

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Wash and pat raspberries dry.  Place in bowl and toss with one tablespoon of sugar and cornstarch. Set aside

In a separate bowl, combine oats, remaining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add cut butter, forming medium size crumbles with your fingers.

Place 4 6oz ramekins on a foiled baking sheet.  Add raspberries to ramekins and top with crumble mixture.  Bake until bubbly.

Serving:

Makes approximately 4 6oz servings

Garnish:

With fresh cream, whipped cream or ice cream.  Cream could be flavored with a liquor.

food styling & photography: cynthia groseclose

spoons: coastal cupboard, mt. pleasant, sc

The recipe I made for the Spring Entertaining Class was inspired by a recent shoot I assisted on for Bon Appétit, where we made Strawberry “Pop Tarts” for the April 2010 issue.  These tarts are simple and delicious and have lots of possibilities for shapes, sizes and fillings.  Try pancetta, egg and cheese squares or asparagus, caramelized onions and goat cheese.  Get creative!

Strawberry Tarts

Makes 20

2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour plus additional for shaping and rolling

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 tablespoons ice water

12 tablespoons organic strawberry preserves

powdered sugar (optional)

Whisk 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, coarse salt, and sugar in large bowl.  Add butter and using back of a fork, blend butter and flour mixture until resembles consistency of coarse meal.  Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing until moist clumps form.  Gather dough into ball, divide in half, shape each half into disks, wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour.

Line two rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Working with one disk at a time, flour surface and roll dough to around 13×11 inches. Using a 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 triangle pastry cutter,  cut the dough into 40 triangles and place 20 in rows on each baking sheet.  Take a teaspoon of strawberry preserves and place in the center of 10 of the triangles on each sheet.

Take the 10 remaining triangles on the baking sheets and place on top of each jellied triangle.  Press the sides of each triangle to seal shut.  Take a small fork and score the edges of each triangle.  Working quickly.

Put baking sheets in freezer for 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 375 and place one rack in top third of oven and one in bottom.  Bake frozen tarts for 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 15 minutes.  Transfer to cooling rack and cool.  Dust with powdered sugar.

Suggestions:

Break up butter cubes as evenly as possible.  Large pieces of dough in the butter can be difficult to work with and make for uneven pastry.

Do not use too much water in the dough or it will become tough.  Add slowly and toss quickly.

Once the dough is rolled, work quickly to cut and assemble the tarts.  If the dough begins to get too soft, stick in the freezer for a few minutes.

Some filling may come out of the sides of the tarts, but that just adds to their rustic nature.

Ideas:

Fill chinese takeout containers with tissue and add a few tarts.  Give as gifts for holidays and special occasions.

Try different fruit fillings or even try a savory tart with bacon, egg and cheese.  Use your imagination.

Use different shaped creative cutters like flowers, circles or animal shapes for children.

Serve two tarts on dessert plates, garnish with mint and fresh cream or melt chocolate and drizzle on plate with a dash of powdered sugar.  The tarts are simple and delicious on their own.  Make them show stoppers with creative presentation ideas.

Spring is one of my favorite times of year.  All of the senses are awakened with the beauty of its sounds, sights and smells.  Many seasonal fruits and vegetables reach their peak in the spring and summer such as asparagus, peas and strawberries. But one of my favorites is the Bing Cherry.

Bing Cherries are very sweet and  provide a variety of health benefits with their antioxidant properties. Bing Cherry season officially begins in May and ends in August.  When shopping for Bing Cherries, look for cherries that have their stems, have a nice size and shine, deep color and are free of blemishes.

One of my favorite things to make when entertaining is individual miniature puff pastry cups filled with fruit fillings. These simple miniatures make a beautiful presentation, are the perfect bite to end a springtime meal and can be made with a variety of seasonal fruits.

Miniature Bing Cherry Pastry Cups

For the filling:

4 cups fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon cherry brandy

1 teaspoon cornstarch

pinch of salt

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

Saute cherries in butter and sugar.  Add lemon juice, brandy, salt and nutmeg. The cherries natural juices will start to emerge and create a sauce. Add cornstarch to thicken sauce. Transfer to bowl and let stand, uncovered for a minimum of 1 hour.  Makes approximately 2 cups.

For Puff Pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

5 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Sift flower into chilled metal bowl.  Add salt.  Using a box grater, cut butter into flour mixture, tossing to coat. Add ice water evenly over flour/butter mixture and stir with a fork to incorporate. Add additional  ice water if necessary, until dough binds without crumbling, being careful not to overwork.

Form mixture into around a 5 inch square, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll dough onto floured surface and fold into thirds like a letter. Rewrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Repeat the rolling, folding and chilling 2 additional times.

Roll dough out on to floured surface. Using a 2 1/2″ biscuit cutter, cut 6 rounds in dough. In center of dough, use a 1 1/2″ biscuit cutter to score the dough. Do not cut all the way through. Brush with egg wash.  Bake until pastry rises and is golden brown.

To Assemble:

Cut off “tops” of pasty and spoon in cherry filling.  Garnish with mint and serve with fresh whipped cream.

Presentation Idea:

Serve on a rectangular white plate, arranged in rows with a drizzle of the cherry reduction and a handful of fresh mint leaves.

Suggestions:

If the task of making puff pastry seems too daunting, Dufour Frozen Puff Pastry is a good substitute.  You can find Dufour in the frozen food section at Whole Foods and other fine markets.

Photos by Lesley Unruh