It is handy to have in the pantry the makings of a fruit dessert which may be made regardless of the season or the chances that the necessary fresh ingredient will be in the market on the day it is required.  Boysenberry Amandines, using canned berries, make a worthy end to a special dinner when the local in-season fruits have ceased to inspire and, however good they may be, long familiarity makes us long for the unfamiliar.

Boysenberry Amandines with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (for 8 people)

A Note of Apology to Subscribers:  The amount of light brown sugar was incorrectly stated in the email version of this recipe.  The correct amount for 8 ramekins is 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons.  Please forgive the error.

Note: To print this recipe, or any other diplomatickitchen recipe, go to the bottom of the page, at the end of the post, and click on the icon: Print & PDF. You will have the option of printing in smaller text size and without photos.

Timing Note:  Boysenberry Amandines bake for only 10 minutes and should cool a little before serving.  They appear underdone when they come out of the oven…but that’s ok.  They continue to cook a little as they cool and should have a softer-than-cake consistency when they are served.

Ingredients: The closest metric equivalents are given in parentheses.

• 4 large Eggs
• 1/2 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons of Light Brown Sugar (100 grams)
• 8 Tablespoons of Butter, melted and cooled a little (115 grams), plus some to grease the ramekins
• 1/2 cup of finely ground Almonds…aka Almond Meal or Powdered Almonds (45 grams)
• 4 Tablespoons of Cornstarch (32 grams)
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated Nutmeg
• 2 cans of Boysenberries in light syrup ( net weight 15 ounces each or 425 grams)
• Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream:  The recipe used for the photographed dessert is here in this previous diplomatickitchen post.  Any ice cream you like will be a good substitute.

Equipment:

• a large Strainer
• 3 Mixing Bowls
• a Mixer, standing or hand
• 8 1/2-cup size Ramekins (Ramekins holding about 125 milliliters)

1. Butter the ramekins and put them in the refrigerator while making the batter for the amandines.

2.  Preheat the oven to 400 F. (200 C).

3.  Place a strainer over a mixing bowl and strain the canned berries, reserving the juice that collects in the bowl.  Set both the juice and berries aside.

4.  Separate the eggs, placing the yolks and whites in two separate mixing bowls.

5.  Add the brown sugar to the yolks and mix until they become a shade lighter in color:

6.  Beat into the yolk mixture the butter, powdered almonds, cornstarch, vanilla, and nutmeg.

7.  In the third bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks, then fold them into the yolk and almond batter.

8.  Divide the batter between the 8 ramekins.  Place 6 or 7 berries in each ramekin of batter, reserving the rest of the berries and juice…

…and bake the desserts for 10 minutes, or until they are golden.

9.  Remove them from the oven.  The amandines will look underdone.  This is ok.  They will continue to cook a little out of the oven and are supposed to have a softer-than-cake consistency.  Let them cool a little…lukewarm is fine.

10.  Just before serving, place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on each dessert…

and top the scoops of ice cream with some of the reserved berries and juice:

A Note:  Boysenberry Amandines with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is adapted from a recipe on the website Papillotes.  The dessert is served at the conclusion of the diplomatickitchen Dinner Menu:  Alpine Dinner.

An Invitation: You are invited to request suggestions from the diplomatickitchen for your own menus for any occasion by clicking on the feature ‘Ask and Tell’ here or in the Menu at the top of the page. Do you have a menu concept with a gap or two that wants filling…or perhaps you are an expat looking for ways to adapt your recipes to what is available in your temporary home…maybe you are just looking for a new way to use a familiar ingredient or would like suggestions on how to adjust quantities of a recipe from the diplomatickitchen for smaller or larger groups…Replies will be published in ‘Ask and Tell’ or sent by email if you prefer.

© Elizabeth Laeuchli, the diplomatickitchen, 2011-2013