Fruit to go with chocolate and butterscotch

[MelissaH]

Yesterday we hosted a party for about 30 people. Most of the food was provided by others, but we wanted to make sure we had at least one munchie, one soup, and one dessert. Everything went off without a hitch until I tried to cut the brownies I'd baked into squares and they crumbled to the point where they were too ugly to serve at a party. Taking a page from numerous eGulleteers, I whipped up a batch of butterscotch pudding, and layered it and the brownie crumbles into a trifle of sorts.

It was yummy, if a tad heavy. I started thinking that a bit of fruit layered in with the brownies and pudding would have been a nice addition. My question: what fruit would go nicely with both chocolate and butterscotch? I know that bananas would have been an obvious choice, but bananas are the one food I cannot stand in any way, shape, or form. The strawberries we picked earlier this spring and sliced and stored in the freezer were another possibility; I knew that they'd be a slam-dunk with the brownies but wasn't so sure about the butterscotch. What else might have worked? Bonus points if it's available in small-town upstate NY in early December.

[merstar]

How about pears or apples?

[Wendy DeBord]

Most any fruit would have worked, lots of dried fruits too.

I think I would have taken a different approach though. I would have thrown out the brownies all together. Sometimes it's better to call something a failure then to try and disguise it.

[KarenS]

I also don't make desserts and refuse to use things that I can't stand- I am making them for others and thinking of good flavor combinations. I don't care much for chocolate- but I use it everyday!

[petite tête de chou]

Persimmons, perhaps?

I also second the dried fruit idea. Esp. dried apples, pears, apricots or dark cherries.

[maremosso]

No butterscotch pudding - I would have made a layered Tiramisu, with rum, strong espresso, whipped mascarpone and cream, and a nice layer of bitter cocoa powder on top.

The crumbled brownies are an ideal starting point for Tiramisu, even better and easier if layered directly in parfait glasses.

Edited to add that this is one of those rare instances when a little help from a store cupboard is indispensible. Angel Delight (Cool Whip) is what I am thinking about, but Mascarpone in the freezer is my suggestion.

Edited December 6, 2004 by maremosso (log)

[Verjuice]

No fruit. Nuts; almonds or pecans or walnuts. Maybe even some kind of quick coconut macaroon filling.

Well, maybe prunes in Armagnac. Someone mentioned cherries; I like the idea of dried sour cherries. Or brandied figs? As for fresh fruit, bananas or pears would be okay, I think. I don't much like the combination of fruit and chocolate actually, unless is candied orange peel or candied ginger.

Edited December 6, 2004 by Verjuice (log)

[MelissaH]

Angel Delight (Cool Whip) is what I am thinking about, but Mascarpone in the freezer is my suggestion.

←

That implies available mascarpone. And although there's a reasonably large population of people with Italian ancestry in this area, I have yet to see mascarpone in the stores in town regularly. Good thought, though.

Had I not used all my cream to make the butterscotch pudding, I would have alternated layers of whipped cream and butterscotch pudding.

MelissaH

[maremosso]

Mascarpone is not always available here too. So sometimes I make do with a combination of cream cheese and heavy cream. Sugar to taste.

[tryska]

i can't really think of a fruit....but whipped cream would have lightened things up a bit.

maybe raspberries?

don't know if you can get them up there or not. How is oswego these days anyways? (i'm an ex-syracusan)

[MelissaH]

maybe raspberries?

don't know if you can get them up there or not.  How is oswego these days anyways?  (i'm an ex-syracusan)

←

Raspberries have been available on and off, if you're willing to pay $5 or $6 for half a pint of berries, and check through them very carefully to be sure they aren't growing. Frozen's generally available at a more reasonable price, though, and probably a better bet. This summer was a good one for both straw and blue, and we picked and froze oodles of each this summer. We haven't found a source for pick-your-own rasp, though, and don't really have the yard space for a patch of our own.

If you can believe it, we got rain today, after a few inches of snow yesterday. But it's fall in Oswego and therefore it's been windy the last few days, with gusts on the order of 50 mph coming off the lake. Not quite like last fall's windstorms, but enough to make for a good soup day nonetheless.

MelissaH

[tryska]

maybe raspberries?

don't know if you can get them up there or not.  How is oswego these days anyways?  (i'm an ex-syracusan)

←

We haven't found a source for pick-your-own rasp, though, and don't really have the yard space for a patch of our own.

If you can believe it, we got rain today, after a few inches of snow yesterday. But it's fall in Oswego and therefore it's been windy the last few days, with gusts on the order of 50 mph coming off the lake. Not quite like last fall's windstorms, but enough to make for a good soup day nonetheless.

MelissaH

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how about just going out in the woods? that's where i used to get my berries. (don't know if that's illegal or not tho. hee hee)

as for the winds i don't envy you at all. I miss the skiing, but i don't miss the cold. i live in georgia now.