Berry Delight
Berry delight is the perfect patriotic dessert to feature on your list of summer desserts. It layers a buttery crust, creamy cheesecake-like filling, and blueberry-gelatin topping, served in slices with or without whipped cream or ice cream.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 12 graham cracker sheets, about 6 1/2 ounces
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp. salted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 8 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 3 ounce strawberry gelatin
- ½ cup boiling water
- 1 lb. fresh blueberries
Equipment
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Using a blender or food processor, pulse the Graham cracker sheets and brown sugar into a finely ground consistency. Slowly pour the melted butter in while the food processor is still running until the texture resembles coarse sand.
- Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared dish and press it into a firm, even layer. A flat-bottomed measuring cup works well for this.
- Freeze for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 2 days to allow the crust to set.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the heavy cream for about 3 minutes on medium-high until stiff peaks. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the stand mixer, and beat again until light, fluffy, and lump-free.
- Whisk in a third of the whipped cream by hand, then gently fold in the rest with a rubber spatula.
- Spread half of the cream cheese filling evenly over the chilled crust.
- Pour the boiling water into a heatproof bowl and whisk in the gelatin for 2 minutes until it fully dissolves.
- Add ⅓ cup of the gelatin to the remaining half of the cream cheese and beat until fully combined. Spread this mixture over the first layer of plain cream cheese filling.
- For the second gelatin layer, toss the fresh berries in the remaining gelatin mixture so they are fully coated. Spoon this over the previous layer evening.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 12 hours to set.
- Slice into even squares and enjoy as is or garnish with whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Sandy’s tips:
- Storage: Store leftover berry delight in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. The flavors of the dessert will intensify as it chills - Yum!
- Freezing: You can freeze leftover berry delight for up to 1 month, although the top layer of gelatin-coated blueberries may be altered and the crust can turn a bit soggy from freezing and thawing.
- Make ahead: Assemble this no-bake berry delight the day before since it needs to chill in the fridge between 4-12 hours anyway.
- Keep chilled: This assembled dessert must remain in the fridge until ready to be served and should not be left out at room temperature for longer than 20 minutes.
- Warm your knife: For cleaner slices, run your knife under warm water before cutting to serve this dessert.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 342kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 201mg, Potassium: 123mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 858IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 1mg