I took myself pretty seriously the other day about the whole end-of-great-fruits-is-near announcement. I actually made these the same day I made the peach bars because I just had the need to get all this fresh fruit into different buttery, crumbly wrappers before it went bad.
I guess it all started when I went overboard on stocking up on fruit in the first place. And once I had eaten my 18th bowl of fresh berries and whipped cream for dessert, I decided to try a few fancier things. But don't get me wrong... the fresh whipped cream is just as important on these sussies as it is for fresh fruit.
I have to say my vote went to the peach bars. However, we were a divided household. Mr. Hungry loved these. So who knows where you'll end up, but at the end of the day, they are both top notch fruity little desserts.
From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.
Have you ever made anything with brown butter? You totally should. Think deep buttery golden flavor. Woah, who knew butter had a whole different dimension? This is the color you're going for.
Did you know white bread loves brown butter? Oh yeah, it soaks this stuff right up and becomes nice and crispy. I have never loved plain old sandwich bread so much.
Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Recipe Notes
Every strawberry is different so you will want to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your berries. These were made with farmer's market berries that had great flavor, but were not overly sweet.
Recipe Notes
Every strawberry is different so you will want to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your berries. These were made with farmer's market berries that had great flavor, but were not overly sweet.
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
6 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs(Japanese bread crumbs)
2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced into thin slices
Fresh whipped cream, for serving (lightly sweetened)
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust oven rack to the middle of the oven.
In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. If you have been at it for awhile and have not seen any brown, turn the heat up slightly. Stir butter frequently and scrape up any bits that might stick to the pan. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is less than a minute. The process should take 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
Lightly brush the muffin cups with the brown butter, then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Roll bread slices with a rolling pin to flatten. Brush both sides with additional brown butter, then gently fit into muffin cups.
Stir together brown sugar, zest, salt and panko, then add strawberries and toss to coat. Stir in remaining brown butter. Heap strawberry mixture into cups, pressing gently.
Cover pan with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until strawberries are very tender, about 10 minutes more. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Can be covered with foil and kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. You can reheat for a few minutes in the oven or eat at room temperature. Just make sure to whip up some fresh whipped cream.
Makes 6 muffin- size desserts.
In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. If you have been at it for awhile and have not seen any brown, turn the heat up slightly. Stir butter frequently and scrape up any bits that might stick to the pan. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is less than a minute. The process should take 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
Lightly brush the muffin cups with the brown butter, then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Roll bread slices with a rolling pin to flatten. Brush both sides with additional brown butter, then gently fit into muffin cups.
Stir together brown sugar, zest, salt and panko, then add strawberries and toss to coat. Stir in remaining brown butter. Heap strawberry mixture into cups, pressing gently.
Cover pan with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until strawberries are very tender, about 10 minutes more. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Can be covered with foil and kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. You can reheat for a few minutes in the oven or eat at room temperature. Just make sure to whip up some fresh whipped cream.
Makes 6 muffin- size desserts.
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This post is just beautiful! The method of making these looks like so much fun so I know i would love to try these even without how absolutely gorrgeouuss the final result looks! Never seen anything quite like these and I really hope i make these sooner rather than later, perfect little summery treat :)
ReplyDeleteThese look fantastic! Although I must say that I've made the peach bars before and they're terrific.
ReplyDeleteBrowned butter makes everything great!
Ummm I need to go buy tons and tons of fresh fruit just so that I have this "problem" of yours. THese look amazing! Bites of strawberry heaven.
ReplyDeleteWow, I never thought in using bread as crust...they look delicious. Love everything in small size.
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a great week Ashlea :-)