Deconstructed Italian Easter Pie With Wheat Berries
Adapted from “Bowls of Plenty: Recipes for Healthy and Delicious Whole-Grain Meals,” by Carolynn Carreño (Grand Central Life & Style, 2017).
The flavors of the classic holiday dessert are echoed in goat cheese and cooked wheat berries — with less sugar. You don’t have to wait until Easter to enjoy it.
You also could serve this with the goat-cheese topping as the base and spoon the honey-wheat-berry mixture on top.
Make ahead: The topping can be made and refrigerated up to a day in advance; stir before using. The wheat berries need to be cooked in advance.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
TOPPING 1 cup heavy whipping cream One 10-to-12-ounce package plain goat cheese, room temperature 2 tablespoons sugar 1 navel orange
BASE 1 cup honey 1 cup water 1 generous cup cooked wheat berries (from ½ cup dried wheat berries; see note) 1 cup shelled, roasted, unsalted pistachios (may substitute skinned, toasted hazelnuts or walnuts)
Instructions for the topping:
Beat the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer on medium speed for 4 or 5 minutes; it should become thickened enough to form soft peaks.
Stop to scrape down the bowl or beaters. Add the goat cheese and sugar; beat on medium speed until they are well incorporated, with no lumps of cheese.
Use a Microplane zester or grater to grate only the outside (no pith) of the orange into the bowl (about a tablespoon), then gently fold it into the cream. Reserve the rest of the orange, which you’ll use for the base. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day).
For the base: Peel away any white pith from the orange, then separate the fruit into its natural segments. Cut each of those segments in half lengthwise, if desired.
Combine the honey and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the honey has dissolved. Turn off the heat; add the orange segments, cooked wheat berries and pistachios, stirring to coat evenly. Let cool to room temperature.
Place a fine-mesh strainer over a separate small saucepan; pour the honey-wheat-berry mixture through it, then return the solids to their medium saucepan.
Place the small saucepan of liquid over medium-high heat; once the liquid comes to a boil, cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until it has reduced and become slightly syrupy, and its surface is covered with large bubbles. Remove from the heat.
Let cool to room temperature, then pour it over the solids (the wheat-berry mixture) in the medium saucepan. When ready to serve, spoon the honey-wheat-berry base mixture into a shallow platter, or divide it among individual shallow dessert bowls. Spoon dollops of the topping on top.
Note: To cook the wheat berries, rinse the ½ cup of dried wheat berries (no need to soak first) in a colander under cool running water, then combine in a medium saucepan with 1¼ cups of water.
Bring to a boil over mediumhigh heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 70 to 80 minutes or to a consistency that’s slightly mushier than you may be used to. Uncover and fluff with a fork; cool to room temperature before using.