Berry Crisp with Vanilla-Goat Cheese Mousse

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To make the topping for his fruit crisp, Holmes first rolls cubes of butter in a bit of flour to coat, then adds the coated butter to the remaining flour; he thinks it makes it easier to incorporate the butter into the flour. And instead of a pastry cutter, he uses his bare hands.
Ethan Holmes

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Ingredients

  • Berries
  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped away and reserved
  • Topping
  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 3/4 cup almond meal (or flour)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • Mousse
  • 8 ounces fat-free fromage blanc
  • 4 ounces goat’s-milk cheese (chèvre)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl toss the strawberries and blueberries together. Add the 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, cornstarch and black pepper and gently toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the Marsala wine and vanilla seeds and pour over the berries, stirring gently. Turn the berries out into an 8-inch baking dish and set aside.

2. Make the topping: In a large bowl, toss together the almonds, almond meal, all but 1 tablespoon of the all-purpose flour, the sugar and salt. In a small bowl and using your fingers, toss the butter cubes with the remaining tablespoon of flour and then add the flour-coated butter cubes to the almond mixture. Rub the butter into the almond mixture until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Evenly sprinkle the topping over the berries and bake until the topping is golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to barely warm or room temperature, about 1 hour.

3. Make the mousse: In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the fromage blanc, goat cheese, sugar, vanilla seeds and extract until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and airy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve on top of the berry crisp.

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