Triple Berry Bruschetta

This is another one of those recipes where, when I read the title, I thought it was going to be something and then, when I saw the recipe, it was A LOT different than what I had pictured in my head. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I hear berries, I traditionally think of dessert (unless it’s in a salsa for fish or something). When I first heard the name of the recipe, Berry Bruschetta, dessert is exactly what came to my mind! So, when I read the recipe and it was not really so much a desserty kind of thing, I was a little sad… It was really not very much like a dessert at all, especially with a French baguette as the Bruschetta part! Ugh.
So, I headed to the store to get all of the stuff I wanted for my own “Berry Bruschetta.” I had planned to do strawberries, but hadn’t thought much farther than that until I saw the blackberries and blueberries on sale. Then, those HAD to go in, too! I didn’t want the dessert to be real heavy or anything like that, so kept it quite simple… I chopped up the berries and then macerated them in the powdered sugar for a little bit. And, because I love wine, I threw a little bit of that in there too! How can you go wrong with a little bit of sweet, sparkly Moscato goodness?! And, for the bread, I wanted something that definitely could not have any hint of savory aspect whatsoever. Because I didn’t plan on making any bread, which you could very easily do and substitute, I just picked up a package of the already baked and sliced loaf cake from the bakery department at my local market. This Berry Bruschetta was quite divine, I must say!

Printable Recipe

16 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
12 oz. fresh blackberries, halved
11 oz. fresh blueberries, halved
2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp. Moscato d’Asti (recommend Luccio or Cupcake brand)
1 - 1½ Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1 (16 oz.) pkg. sliced lemon loaf cake
Almond oil, optional
Sliced almonds

Combine the fruit in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar; mix gently and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes. After allowing the fruit to macerate for at least 30 minutes, stir the Moscato and fresh mint into the fruit mixture.
Preheat the broiler in the oven.
Place the cake slices on a large heavy baking sheet and toast under the broiler for 7 to 10 minutes until the slices turn golden brown, turning once so that the sides brown evenly. Serve the fruit mixture on top of the browned loaf cake; drizzle with a small amount of almond oil, if desired, and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Strawberry Shortcake with Moscato Whipped Cream

If you know anything about me at all, you know that I rarely do anything the way everyone else does, especially when it comes to cooking. The first time I ever made strawberry shortcake myself, I didn't really know how anyone else had done it and so I just made up my own way of doing it! Basically, it was just a matter of pureeing one quart of strawberries and slicing another, adding a little bit of sugar, then maybe adding some orange juice or other form of beverage, and serving it over sponge or angel food cake with some whipped cream. It's yummy!
I had bought a two-pound container of strawberries when I went to Sam's Club with a friend the other day, and I've been so anxious for spring to get here that nothing sounded better than making this yummy treat! So, I went about cleaning the strawberries, slicing some of them, and then preparing the others for the blender when I had an idea. I immediately switched gears and went this way instead, which I must say is quite divine!
So, what I did was keep the sliced strawberries as I had them, but the other ones, which had been ready for the blender, I diced into smaller pieces. Then, sprinkled them with some sugar to get all the juices flowing and all that good stuff, and macerated them in my favorite, yummy Moscato d'Asti wine! The wine (I recommend using either the Cupcake or Luccio brand of Moscato d'Asti, but a fruity champagne would work too) goes exceptionally well with strawberries, so it sounded like a match made in heaven. Then, I had the idea to whip up some fresh cream and add some of the wine to that as well. What a brilliant idea!! :-D


Printable Recipe

2 lb. fresh strawberries
3 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
¼ c. Moscato d'Asti
Angel food cake

Moscato Whipped Cream:
2 c. heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
½ c. Moscato d'Asti

For the strawberry sauce: Wash the strawberries and drain them on paper towels; cut off the stem end. Slice half of the strawberries and dice the other half, place them in a medium-sized bowl, sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar, and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and set it in the refrigerator, letting the sugar macerate the strawberries. After a couple of hours, remove the strawberries from the refrigerator and stir them lightly; add in the Moscato d'Asti, cover the bowl again, and place back in the refrigerator for a couple of hours again, allowing the wine and strawberry flavors to marry.
For the Moscato Whipped Cream: Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Place the sugar into the mixing bowl and add the whipping cream. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks and then stir in the wine. Store any unused portion in an airtight container for up to 10 hours. When ready to use, rewhisk for 10 to 15 seconds.
Slice the angel food cake, spoon the strawberry mixture over the top, and then serve with a dollop of the whipped cream. Enjoy!! :-)