Fourth Of July Blueberry Softbakes Recipes

FOURTH OF JULY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 11-by-7-by-1 1/2-inch baking dish. Line pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to extend 1 inch above pan.
• Stir together flour, salt and baking powder; stir in bran.
• Beat cream cheese and butter; add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest, egg and lemon juice. Stir in dry ingredients.
• Spread dough in a very thin layer over bottom of pan and up sides to form a shell. Press a piece of parchment paper down into the shell. Fit close to dough at all points and let extend an inch above the pan. Fill with pie weights or dried beans or rice.
• Bake 20 minutes or until dough is set. Remove top parchment paper and weights. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes longer or until golden brown.
• Set pan on wire rack and let cool. Lift out shell. Spread interior of shell with apricot preserves.
• Make the filling: Slice strawberries, and sprinkle them and blueberries with sugar to taste. Arrange fruit in pastry shell in four segments, alternating berries.
• Make the topping: Beat ricotta with milk until smooth. Blend in sugar and vanilla. To serve, drizzle topping on each piece of shortcake.

FILLED FOURTH OF JULY STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip.
• Trim 1/2-inch from bottom of each strawberry so that it sits flat. Use a small melon baller to scoop out the center of each berry. Pipe cream cheese mixture into berries until it brims over the tops. Finish each strawberry with a blueberry garnish. Store, covered lightly with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.

FOURTH OF JULY BLUEBERRY PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one disk of dough to a 12-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Trim dough to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold edge of dough over or under, and crimp as desired. Roll out remaining dough in the same manner; transfer dough (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place blueberries in a large bowl; with your hands, crush about 1/2 cup of the berries, letting them fall into the bowl as you work. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Spoon mixture into chilled pie shell, mounding berries slightly in the center. Dot with butter. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cookie cutter, cut out about 25 stars; set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream. Lightly brush rim of chilled pie shell with egg wash. Arrange the reserved stars in a circular pattern on top of the fruit (with the tips touching), gently pressing over the berries, until covered. Brush the entire surface of rim and stars with egg wash, being careful not to let it pool. Freeze or refrigerate pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F, with the rack in the lower third.
• Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through,until the crust is deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. The pie is best eaten the day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
• Pâte brisée is chilled until firm, then cut into stars.
• The stars are placed, slightly overlapping, atop the fruit filling, then brushed with egg wash before baking.

FOURTH OF JULY BLUEBERRY SOFTBAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375
• line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the diced butter and rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the raw sugar.
• Add the sour cream, blueberries and cranberries and stir just until combined.
• Spoon ten mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Sprinkle with the extra raw sugar and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and firm in the center.
• Serve warm.