I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade Premium and was provided the recipe for Bumbleberry Pie Sundae with Berry Whipped Cream by Gail Simmons . I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Gail Simmon's Bumbleberry Pie Sundae Recipe #MyPlatinum Sponsored

Every good recipe starts with the best, fresh ingredients possible, but they’re finished with dishes, glassware, and garnish – it makes a full package! Sometimes taking the extra minute or two to make your desserts and treats as appealing to the eye, as they are the stomach, is a way to show your family they’re as special as company. Why keep your best dishes and glasses just for guests?!?

I tried this recipe today created by Gail Simmons the Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine. Gail has partnered with Cascade to share the same message – that plating your food is as important as cooking it. This recipe is super simple and can be adapted for your taste and for the ingredients you have available.

Bumbleberry Pie Sundae

But what is a bumbleberry? It’s a mixture of berries, there’s no set recipe. Mix and match raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and whatever else is seasonal in your area in the quantities you like. Mine was heavy on blueberries and blackberries, but there’s no wrong way to make it.

I wanted to make mine organic and unfortunately there wasn’t anything similar to raspberry sherbet available. Heck, my store didn’t even have regular raspberry sherbet – they’ve all been switched out for berry blends. While I love raspberry sherbet and it would have added another dimension to the dessert, it was pretty outstanding on its own.

Gail Simmon's Bumbleberry Pie Sundae Recipe  #MyPlatinum Sponsored

The fresh berries with just the right amount of sugar and fresh lemon juice married beautifully with the organic vanilla ice cream. Don’t scrimp – use a good quality ice cream. Better to eat less and have one that is worthy of all those delicious fresh berries! The graham cracker crumbs, which I crushed in a plastic bag with my rolling pin, add just the right amount of crunch. The berry whipped cream is not sweet and on its own it seems to need a little extra sweetness. But don’t be fooled, once you put it all together the balance is perfect.

There are only two of us so I’ve packed up the extra sauce, berries, and berry whipped cream and will fold them into plain vanilla yogurt for breakfast and as a treat all week. I’m really looking forward to it!

Bumbleberry Pie Sundae with Berry Whipped Cream by Gail Simmons
There's a fine line between scoopable ice cream and melted..I've yet to find that! Stir the ice cream to even out the texture and place in the center of the glass avoiding the sides if possible.
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 
Cooking Time: 
Total Time: 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups plus ¾ cup mixed berries, well washed and divided (any combination of strawberries hulled and quartered, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries halved)
  • 4 Tbls granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 pinch coarse salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pint vanilla ice cream
  • 1 pint raspberry sorbet
  • 6 graham crackers, crushed
  • 2 Tbls fresh lemon zest
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan heat 1 cup of mixed berries, 2 tbls sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat, stirring often, until the blueberries begin to burst and the other berries break down, about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl or stand mixer, using a balloon whisk or hand-held mixer, beat the cream at medium speed until soft peaks form.
  3. While the cream is mixing, mash ¾ cup of mixed berries with remaining 2 tbls sugar using a fork, until slightly chunky and loose.Gently fold the crushed berries into the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  4. Remove the berries from the heat and stir in the pinch of salt. Place half the berry mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the saucepan and stir well to combine with remaining 2 cups of fruit (I fork mashed mine). Allow to cool slightly.
  5. To serve: spoon 2 tbls of the berry sauce into each of 6 parfait or rocks glasses. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a sprinkling of crushed graham crackers, and a pinch of lemon zest. Then add a scoop of the raspberry sorbet and another 2 tablespoons of the sauce. Top with a dollop of berry whipped cream and finish with a sprinkling of the graham crackers and another pinch of zest.
  6. Garnish with fresh berries if desired
  7. Serve immediately.

How do you show your family you care? Using our good glasses is my way and something we’ve done since the boys were little. It was worth a cracked or broken glass to see the enjoyment in their eyes. But I want to make sure the glasses look their best, so I’ve been using Cascade Platinum in my new dishwasher. So far they’ve been coming out spotless!

Enter your own platinum bite for a chance to win fabulous prizes. Check out the Cascade Facebook page (http://on.fb.me/10Y8RQQ) and their current Instagram contest (http://tinyurl.com/PlatBlog) for more info.