Deceptively Healthy Dessert: Garden Party Berries in Custard

Hello Healthy Dessert Lovers! 

My mom was recently the Chair (and founder) of our local garden walk. 

The night before the event, we had a preview party for the garden owners and volunteers as a sort of orientation for what our guests would experience and how each garden would be set-up. Additionally, it allowed the garden owners and volunteers to experience the garden walk, as they would not be able to do so otherwise. 

The main house for the pre-party was my family's; if you've ever been to our house, you know, the garden is the best part. Especially in Spring/Summer. If you haven't been, it is entirely landscaped with flagstone paths, two patios, a fountain, and we are working on having it designated as a wildlife preserve. 

Being the main house, we were responsible for the majority of the refreshments. My contributions included brownies (less healthy dessert, recipe and workout to follow) and a little invention inspired by Party City's tiny plastic cups and tiny plastic spoons...I love tiny utensils!

The Recipe: Garden Party Berries in Custard

Layer 1: The Custard (Special thanks to Martha Stewart)

• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar

Layer 2: The Berries (Your ratio and amounts will be determined by how many servings you want to make)

• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Blueberries

Layer 3: The Cocoa Whipped Cream (Make as many servings as necessary...I needed two)

• 2 tbsp Hershey's Cocoa Powder
• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

Layer 4: Shaved Cocoa Beans from Granada (So you probably won't be able to do this exactly...any chocolate shavings will do if you don't have time to take a little vacation to find the real deal ;) ) 

The Process: 

Layer 1: The Custard

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 
• Place 4-6 coffee cups in tall baking pans and fill the pans halfway with water.
• Mix cream, milk, and vanilla into a saucepan on medium heat and allow to boil. 
• Whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. 
• Slowly add cream, milk, and vanilla mixture to the yolks and sugar, whisking simultaneously. 
• Once completely combined, pour mix into cups evenly (the more cups you use, the faster your custard will bake).
• Bake on a low rack for 30-40 minutes (depending on your oven...when you lightly shake the pans, the custard should only move slightly, like jello rather than like sloshing liquid). 
• Allow to cool for 30 min-1 hour. 
• Spoon about 1 tbsp into each of 40 small cups. (If you are making fewer cups, feel free to make less custard, or use more per cup). 

Layer 2: The Berries

• Mix all berries in a large bowl.
• Fill each cup with berries almost to the top. 

Layer 3: The Cocoa Whipped Cream

• Chill a bowl (while you fill cups with berries, or while you are waiting for the custard to cool).
• Mix all ingredients and beat until fluffy. 
• Spoon about 1 tbsp onto each cup. 

Layer 4: Cocoa Shavings

• With all cups arranged on a plate, shave evenly over them. 

Finally....

• Chill entire plate of desserts until you are ready to serve.
• Indulge! :) 

The Calories: 

Because this recipe is so variable based on how much you make versus how much you use, I've decided to calculate only the amount per serving, since that's all we really care about: 

1 Tbsp Custard: 22 calories

1/4 cup Berries: 25 calories

1 Tbsp Whipped Cream: 52 calories

(Negligible calories of cocoa shavings)

__________________________________________________________

TOTAL: 99 calories

A light, but decadent dessert for under 100 calories? I think yes. 

What went right: 

        Everything! These were a huge hit at the party and a lot of fun to make. 

What went wrong: 

        This is a time consuming process, but that might just be due to the sheer volume of servings I made. Making a smaller amount would take much less time to prepare. 

What I would do next time: 

        For a smaller group of people, it would be far more efficient to make the recipe into a tart. Granted this would involve a crust as well, but adding a graham cracker crust would not hurt the nutritional value that significantly, and would be absolutely delicious. 

         Other variations might use different fruits, like peaches, strawberries, kiwi, or bananas. If you're adventurous (and feel like a workout while the custard cools) you might try adding toffee and chocolate instead of fruit, or chocolate dipping strawberries, bananas, and kiwi for the fruit. 

Would I make this in college: 

         Yes and no. I have yet to make custard in college, since it does take a lot of time. If I do, it will probably be a single serving for a single person...namely me...or for a close friend if I meet someone who prefers custard to oreo balls covered in chocolate. 

Overall, this was a great collaboration between me, my mom, Party City, and pinterest. It definitely goes down in my list of specialties. It's a relatively simple recipe once the custard is complete, and it is easy to manipulate any of the layers for personalization. Additionally, it's a great no-guilt treat to share on a hot summer day :)