Fresh Berry Gratin

This is a recipe that I found over at Mindika Moments. It looked so simple to put together and delicious that I had to try it. My dad's birthday was a few days ago and since I am always asked to bring the desserts I thought this was a perfect opportunity to try it out! It was fabulous! Definitely one of my favorite desserts and I usually don't like chunks of fruit in things. This was the perfect combination of flavors with the sour cream and the cream cheese and the tartness of the berries. I used all four of the berries and although I bought the strawberries fresh because they looked so beautiful, I bought the other three (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) frozen. To avoid the mushy taste that normally comes from frozen fruits, I put them in a strainer in the sink and let them thaw out naturally for several hours. NO rinsing. They turned out just perfect and saved me a pretty penny. The photo is courtesy of Mindika Moments and can be found here at her wonderful site!

FRESH BERRY GRATIN
(Recipe from Emily Nuttall, friend of Mindika)

48 oz. mixed fresh (or frozen) berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or blueberries)
16 oz. cream cheese
2 C. sour cream (you MUST measure this out - a 16 oz. container is only about 1 1/2 cups)
½ C. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C. brown sugar

1. Wash berries. Slice or cut to desired size.
2. Place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, or divide into individual ramekins.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until well combined.
4. Top the berries with the cream cheese mixture.
5. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the cream cheese mixture.
6. Place under a broiler for 4-6 minutes or until the brown sugar starts to caramelize. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
7. Serve immediately.