Just a trifle

Published 2:41 pm Tuesday, July 10, 2007

As a child, I spent my blackberry-seeking days at my cousins’ summer home just north of San Francisco in Sonoma Valley.

The rich soil, sunny days and cool evenings produce prime berries. Between swimming and crawdad fishing, there was always time for blackberry picking. We were dauntless. Damning the thorns, we left no vine unturned.

Even at that early age my cousins, brother and I knew that the best berries were hidden in the shadows of the vines, out of the harsh afternoon rays. To acquire such gems, one of us would always end up sacrificing an arm or leg or face.

But it was worth it. Our purple grins and bramble-torn bodies were testament to the wonderful treasure we’d bring back each afternoon. We were eager to enjoy the berries in any number of savory forms: pie, jam, trifle, cobbler, pancakes.

However, it’s blackberries served with only cream, I think, that will always be my favorite. It has something to do with the circumstances.

Thanks to the direct path the sun’s rays took past our faces on the sleeping porch each morning, my cousin Bonnie and I were always awake before the rest of the household. We’d take advantage of that quiet hour to tiptoe into the kitchen and raid the cache of blackberries and cream.

Bowls in hand, we’d slip quietly back out to the porch. Like two happy little lizards soaking up the morning sun, we’d sit dreamily on the deck with legs dangling over the side, eating our berries and cream.

Of course, where the Pacific Northwest excels – even beyond such fond images of youth – is with the raspberry. That you can buy a basket without gasping at their price is miraculous. With such affordable abundance, you can feature raspberries right alongside the other berries in a vast array of summertime desserts.

My favorite is raspberry trifle: layer after delectable layer of sponge cake, fresh fruit, soft custard and whipped cream, generously laced with sherry, brandy and perhaps even a splash of Grand Marnier if you’re feeling extravagant.

Restaurants rarely get it right because it’s simply not cost-effective to include the amount of custard, fruit and liquor necessary to achieve sinful perfection.

Sponge cake is not fun to make from scratch, so I’ve always managed to find bakeries willing to supply me with the undecorated sponge layers. Any of the suggested substitutes, angel food, chiffon or pound cake, simply don’t produce perfection.

And then there’s the regional celebrity, the Marionberry. Bold, purple and proud, it’s a unique contemporary variety of blackberry that was introduced in Oregon in 1956 after years and years of cross-breeding.

The path that plant breeders traveled to obtain this particular berry was circuitous, to say the least, but the creation of the Marionberry began with the pairing of a blackberry with a raspberry, which produced a Loganberry.

Many different crossings sprang from the Loganberry, and ultimately, two of those breeds – the Chehalem and the Olallie – were crossed to produce the Marionberry.

According to the Oregon Berry Commission, the Marionberry is the most widely planted blackberry variety in the world. It’s named after Marion County, where it was first produced.

The fruit is medium to large, round in diameter and longer than wide. Compared to Evergreen blackberries, they have smaller seeds, are juicier and have an intense, rich “earthy Cabernet” flavor with a dark purple color. Their superior flavor makes them ideal for baking and their large, sturdy structure holds up well in everything from cobblers to preserves.

It’s already proving to be a fabulous berry year, so get thee to a farmers market and load up so you can prepare any of the following treats at home.

I’ve adapted our family specialty to accommodate these wonderful fruits of the Northwest. Other fruits can be used, such as strawberries or blueberries, or you could use all Marionberries, or all raspberries, depending on what’s available.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@ proaxis.com.

28- or 9-inch rounds of sponge cake

Raspberry jam

2cups fresh raspberries

2cups fresh Marionberries

18- or 10-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2-3/4cup dry sherry, or to taste

1/2cup brandy

3tablespoons Grand Marnier (optional)

Soft custard (recipe follows)

1cup heavy cream, whipped

Cut horizontally through each sponge cake layer (a serrated knife works best) and gently lay the layers open. Spread the bottom half of each layer with raspberry jam, then place the top half over the jam, creating jam sandwiches. Cut these sandwiches into 1- or 2-inch cubes. Layer the bottom of a large bowl with a 3-quart capacity (a crystal or glass bowl shows off the layers) with half the cake-and-jam cubes.

Next spread about 2 cups of the berries over the cake cubes, and half the crushed pineapple over the berries.

Combine the sherry, brandy and optional Grand Marnier in a glass or measuring cup with a pouring spout. Drizzle half of this liquid (or less, depending on your taste) over the mixture, then spoon on about half of the warm custard. Begin layering again, starting with the cake-and-jam cubes, ending with the custard (you may not use all of the custard, depending on the size of your bowl). Refrigerate the trifle at this point for at least 4 hours, but preverably overnight.

Before serving, spread on the whipped cream and garnish the top with fresh berries. To serve, scoop into dessert dishes. Serves 8 to 10.

Soft custard: In top of double boiler, beat 4 eggs. Mix in 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 4 cups milk. Stir the mixture over hot water (or directly on the burner if you use a heavy-bottomed pot and don’t get the mixture too hot), stirring constantly until it begins to thicken. When the custard coats the spoon, remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Makes about 41/2 cups custard. Use while warm, or gently reheat before using if making ahead.

Note about sponge cake: Please, no substitutes such as angelfood, chiffon or pound cake. If you don’t have time to make it from scratch, find a bakery that will sell you the layers. That’s what I do.

Marionberry sauce:

1 quart frozen Marionberries, thawed

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Dumplings:

1 cup sifted flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk (more if needed)

To prepare the sauce, drain the juice from the whole Marionberries. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt with the juice in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring the juice mixture to a boil and simmer gently until it thickens. Fold in the whole berries and simmer gently while preparing the dumplings.

To prepare the dumplings, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in or rub in the butter. Add the milk and vanilla to the flour mixture, stirring to make a thick batter (however, if it seems too thick, add a little bit more milk). Drop by spoonfuls into the boiling sauce, then cover and steam the dumplings gently in the sauce for 20 minutes (do not lift the cover during the steaming process. Serve the dumplings and sauce warm with good-quality vanilla ice cream.

2 cups Marionberries, or other caneberry, such as blackberries, Loganberries or raspberries

Sugar to taste

2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

6 tablespoons orange-flavored liquor, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Whole berries for garnish

Gently smash the berries with a potato masher or back of spoon, leaving about one-third of the berries whole. Sprinkle with granulated sugar to taste. Place the ice cream in a large bowl; stir to soften and smooth out the ice cream.

Reserve one cup of the berries and stir the rest into the softened ice cream, along with the liqueur. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Quickly divide the reserved cup of berries among 4 dessert glasses (clear glass is the most elegant because you will be able to see the layers). Spoon the cream mixture into the glasses, top each serving with one or more whole berries and serve.

Serves 4.

Double pie crust for 9-inch pie (recipe follows)

1heaping cup granulated sugar

1/3cup all-purpose flour

1teaspoon cornstarch

21/2cups Marionberries

1 1/2cups red raspberries

1 1/2teaspoons butter

Cinnamon

Flatten the balls of pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll out from center to edge until 1/8-inch thick. Place one crust in the pie plate, tucking edges under to form an edge. Reserve the other crust for the top.

To prepare the filling, combine the sugar, flour and cornstarch. Lightly stir in the berries and mix well.

Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie pan. Dot with the butter and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

Cover with the top crust, trimming and crimping to seal both crusts together, make several small slits to let steam escape. Bake in a 375-degree oven until nicely browned and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, approximately 1 hour.

Double pie crust: In mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour with 1 teaspoon salt; cut in 2/3 cup shortening and mix until pieces are the size of small peas. Measure 7 tablespoons of ice water and sprinkle 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with fork until dough is moistened. Divide into two balls.