Blackberry Custard Squares

Total Time: 6 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 6 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds or 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1.5 (1/3 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 3 cups blackberries (or raspberries)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup whipping cream

Recipe

• 1 serve this dessert with whole fresh blackberries in the summer or, in winter, puree frozen blackberries to serve as a sauce.
• 2 crust: in bowl, combine crumbs, almonds and sugar; mix in butter.
• 3 pat into 8-inch (2 l) square glass baking dish.
• 4 bake in 350 f (180 c) oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. let cool on rack.
• 5 custard layer: meanwhile, in heavy saucepan, stir sugar with cornstarch; whisk in milk and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and smooth.
• 6 in bowl, whisk egg yolks; stir in half of the hot milk mixture. return egg yolk mixture to pan; cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until thickened.
• 7 remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
• 8 stir gelatin into cold water; let stand for 1 minute, then stir half of the mixture into custard.
• 9 cover and set remaining gelatin mixture aside for blackberry layer. lay plastic wrap directly on surface of custard; let cool.
• 10 pour over crust and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
• 11 blackberry layer: press blackberries through food mill or fine sieve to mask, remove seeds and make about 1 cup (250 ml).
• 12 transfer to small saucepan; add sugar and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• 13 remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and reserved gelatin mixture until gelatin is dissolved.
• 14 chill until consistency of raw egg whites.
• 15 whip cream; fold in blackberry mixture. spread over custard; cover and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
• 16 (dessert can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• 17 cut into squares to serve with forks.