Soft Bavarian Cream w/Strawberry Puree (bavarese morbida con fragole)

By stancec44

Lovely layered in Champagne type glasses.

Maybe try strawberry & blackberry layers?

Ingredients

• Strawberry sauce:
• 6 lg. strawberries, hulled
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• Bavarian cream:
• 1-1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. whole milk
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Cognac
• 1 fresh (moist) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Caramel sauce:
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 1/4 c. Vanilla whipped cream (make it yourself)

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For berry sauce: puree strawberries and sugar in blender until smooth. Divide sauce among 4 flute glasses.

For cream: In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 c. cream. In a large saucepan, stir together remaining 3/4 c. cream, milk, sugar, cognac and vanilla bean. Bring mix to low boil over med. heat, stirring, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add gelatin mix to hot cream mix and mix thoroughly to combine.

Transfer mix to med. stainless steel bowl. Set bowl into a large bowl of very cold water, adding 2 or 3 ice cubes if necessary), and stir until cool and thickened (like barely soft-peak whipped cream) but still liquid, about 15 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and scrape seed into mix; reserve pod for garnish, if desired.

Divide. cream among flute glasses; chill until set, about 1 hour.

For caramel sauce:
Put granulated sugar in small heavy saucepan and crumble brown sugar over. Melt sugars, undisturbed, over med-low heat until granulated sugar is mostly melted. Reduce heat to low and con, stirring occasionally with a fork, until mix becomes deep golden caramel; remove from heat. Carefully pour in cream (mix will bubble up and caramel will harden slightly); return to heat. Simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1/4 c., about 2 minutes. Pour sauce into a 1-c. measure and cool just to warm.

Serve Bavarian cream with caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with pieces of reserved vanilla bean, if desired.