browned butter berry bars {in the sweet kitchen}

this weekend past

we took a long drive

with no real agenda

except to explore

as we drove north

i began to obsess

a cookbook was given to me about a year ago

called

big sur bakery

while getting lost in its pages

i fell in love with the place

and began imagining each bite

while big sur is coastal

and

 we were on an inland route

a little jot west, wasn't too far off course

{it wasn't like we had anywhere to be}

so

an hour, and ten white knuckles later

we arrived in big sur

unfortunately

the bakery was hosting a wedding

which meant

it was closed

double dip dang-nabbit ugh

instead

we stopped at a half bad restaurant

for nourishment

not enjoyment

planning our return

and

when we got home

promptly made these

which are a variation of the brown butter rhubarb bars

from

the big sur bakery cookbook

using

berries we picked that morning

brown butter berry bars

(adapted from the big sur bakery cookbook)

 jam

2 cups blackberries and mulberries {or berries of your choice}

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup sugar

place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan.  cook on low heat until it begins to bubble and thicken.  watch closely and cook until it is thick and jammy. set aside to cool

crust

1 cup unsalted butter--melted

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups flour{whole wheat or all-purpose}

whisk together the flour, powdered sugar and salt.  stir in butter.  press into a 9"x 13" pan.  bake in a 375^ oven until it just begins to brown(15-18 minutes).  remove from oven and allow to cool.

brown butter filling

3 large eggs

 1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup + 2 Tbs unsalted butter

3/4 cup + 2 Tbs flour {whole wheat or all purpose}

1 teaspoon vanilla

place the butter in a saucepan and cook on low heat until it becomes brown and nutty, careful not to burn.  whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour and vanilla.  carefully stir in the browned butter.

to assemble

spread about half of the browned butter mixture on the prepared crust.  dollop about 3/4 of the jam on top.  spread the remaining browned butter filling and then dollop the remaining jam.  bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn brown.  do not overbake, (allowing the filling to souffle). allow to cool before cutting into bars. 

delicious room temperature or directly from refrigerator.

triple berry dessert sauce

we grow strawberries in our garden

and each june

joyfully harvest them

we also grow

raspberries

blackberries

and

boysenberries

only evident

by the bare vines

choking our fences

those sweet berries 

are harvested by

the local fauna

which possess

ripeness gauges

to rival a seasoned gardener

i buy most of our berries

at the local farmer's market

this week

i found gorgeous raspberries

perfectly ripe

and 

brightly colored

at

 four bucks a punnet

here i was

mulling my decision to buy

when

a woman beside me said

"they would make the most delicous coulis"

"do you know what a coulis is?"

i sweetly smiled (which is a bit of a feat)

and said

"yes i do" and "yes they would"

but what i was thinking was

lady

you are either crazy or rich

because 

four dollars a handful is not a bargain

furthermore

 if i planned to whirl these in a blender 

with some sugar

i might as well buy frozen ones

for

 half .the. price.

 at the grocery

this going through my mind

as i handed over my eight dollars

and chose

the ripest berries

in the most full containers

i brought them home

and they sat

then i moved them to the fridge

where they sat

some more

today

i am reminded of that woman at the market

with her clarvoyant premonition

as i 

simmer these over ripe berries

into a sauce

not a coulis

but a sauce

just 

the

same

triple berry dessert sauce

(printable recipe)

1 pint raspberries

1 pint blackberries

1 lb strawberries--hulled and cut in half

juice of 1 lime

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 oz cassis

place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low until the berries are soft and the sugar is melted.  the strawberries may take a bit longer to soften than the raspberries or blackberries. if you find this happening, just turn the burner off and allow the berries to sit in the warm juice for 10 minutes or so, the strawberries will continue to soften from the residual heat.

allow to cool to warm. spoon over ice cream or a slab of shortcake. refrigerate whats left. will keep about 5 days.