A picture is worth a thousand words…but in this case perhaps more. This is The Organic Kitchen’s “Berries in a Pastry Basket”! It’s one of the most popular desserts I teach in my cooking classes here at The Organic Kitchen. It looks like a lot of work, but it isn’t because we use pre-made organic phyllo dough to make our baskets.
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This dessert is gorgeous. I serve it at summer parties, baby and wedding showers and during the holidays, or any time at all!
The Process: Start with The Dough
1. Place a few sheets of thawed Phyllo dough on counter and brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar. Phyllo can usually be found in the frozen section of most super markets.I buy an organic brand at Whole Food’s Market called “Fillo”. This dough is very thin, like sheets of paper. Traditionally you layer one sheet of phyllo dough at a time, then brush (affiliate link) with butter, repeating many times. But here at the OK we make it easy by using three sheets at a time, repeating the steps only once. I really slather on that butter!
Cut the Baskets
2. Cut pastry baskets and tuck them into a cupcake tin (affiliate link). The beauty of these delicate little baskets is that they don’t have to be perfect!
Prepare the Berries
3. Prep berries, drizzle with lemon juice and powdered sugar and sprinkle with zest.
The tool pictured above (affiliate link) squeezes the juice while retaining the seeds. The tool below is called a microplane and is fabulous for zesting citrus and grating parmesan and spices.
Make vanilla paste whipped cream…. yum
4. We make our whipped cream using Nielsen Massey Vanilla Paste (affiliate link) It is a paste instead of an extract, so it doesn’t have that alcohol aftertaste and tastes great straight out of the bottle! The paste also has vanilla bean flecks that make the cream even more beautiful.
See those lovely little flecks of vanilla bean?
Pretty simple isn’t it?
The Recipe: Berries in a Pastry Basket
What you’ll need: a cupcake tin, a pastry brush, and a microplane to zest citrus. You can use vanilla extract or paste. I prefer Nielsen Massey Vanilla Paste . I love making whipped cream by hand using a whisk, but if your arms get too tired you can certainly use a hand mixer, or stand mixer.
This dessert looks like a big deal but is actually very easy. Serve with whipped cream, recipe below. You can find fillo dough (sometimes spelled phyllo)in the frozen sections of most markets.
- 1 package frozen phyllo dough (I use the fillo brand) thawed to package instructions
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated organic sugar
- 3 cups fresh berries, in any combination you wish
- 1/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
- 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
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Make sure dough is thawed, preheat oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack in lower third of oven
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Unroll thawed dough. Gently peel 3 sheets dough off the stack and set on counter or larger cutting board
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Brush the top sheet with melted butter from edge to edge, and sprinkle with sugar, place 3 more sheets of dough on top of the sheets you just prepared, brush with butter sprinkle with sugar
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Use a knife to cut the dough into six - four inch squares (you may have leftovers, depending on the size of your dough) Tuck each dough square into a cupcake tin and bake until slightly golden (about ten minutes)
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If using strawberries, thinly slice them. Pour all berries into a big bowl. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice, sprinkle with sugar and stir. Add orange zest, mix again, set aside
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Place all ingredients in a bowl and use either a whisk or hand mixer to beat until desired consistency is achieved.
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Right before serving place pastry baskets on tray, fill with berries, top with whipped cream
MAY I PLEASE ASK A FAVOR?
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I LOVE berries and such a treat that you used FILO. My absolute favorite. So much better than puff pastry I think.
I agree!
So pretty and simple! Fresh, ripe berries are my favorite dessert.
Mmm, these look really sophisticated and perfect for quests. I love simple fruit recipes.
Such a great presentation, I like how the bowl is edible.
What an elegant dessert! And, so easy too! I’ve been looking for an easy dessert for Valentine’s day!
These are such gorgeous little filo baskets! I love the fillings you’ve used – so pretty and look so tasty.
Happy Wedding to your daughter!!… love and miss the classes!
Thanks! We are excited! And I miss the classes too:)