Fresh picked and washed under the water spigot at edge of the orchard is undeniably the best way to enjoy handfuls of summer berries. Short of that? A cool rinse and colander-jostle under the tap at home works fine. But if you want to fancy things up for Fourth of July festivities, layer the fruit with easy-to-make vanilla custard, fresh whipped cream and tender cubes of homemade pound cake in this in this red-white-and-blue berry trifle. You can stack everything in a tall, glass bowl, or, divide it up into single-serve parfait glasses. Continue Reading…
Berries and cream have been a thing as long cows and brambley hedges have roamed and rambled across the British countryside. “Fooles”–desserts of tart, sugared fruit, simmered, crushed and mixed with cream, were first mentioned in British texts in 1598, but some food historians think they may go back as far as the 15th century. In America, fools led the way to “fridge cakes” billowy fruit-mousse desserts with whimsical names like “marlowes” and “mallowbets” that emerged with the advent of the electrically powered refrigerator. Continue Reading…