Blackberries with Lemon Cream and Toasted Brioche

• STAFF-FAVORITE
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup water
2. 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3. One 2-inch rosemary sprig
4. 1/4 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
5. 1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest
6. 4 large eggs
7. 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8. 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
9. Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices of brioche, crust removed
10. 1 cup heavy cream
11. 3 cups blackberries (12 ounces)

1. In a saucepan, simmer the water with 1/2 cup of the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rosemary and the vanilla bean and seeds and let stand for 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, rub the lemon zest into 1 cup of the sugar. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Strain the custard into a food processor; let cool slightly.
3. With the processor on, add the butter 1 piece at a time and process until fully incorporated before adding more. Process the cream until doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Scrape the cream into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
4. Discard the rosemary and vanilla bean from the syrup. Simmer the syrup over moderately low heat until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes; let cool.
5. Preheat the broiler. Arrange the brioche slices on a baking sheet and broil for 1 minute, turning once, until golden.
6. In a bowl, beat the heavy cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until softly whipped. Add the blackberries to the sugar syrup and toss gently. Spoon the lemon cream onto 8 plates, top with the brioche and a dollop of the whipped cream. Scatter the blackberries on top; serve at once.