Mixed Berry Ring

A really magical thing has happened recently - Alexis has begun using the recipes I post here all on her own. She has made dinner twice in the past week using recipes she knew she could find and cookies. COOKIES. There were chocolate chip cookies in my house yesterday and I did nothing.

Basically, I need to get back to posting recipes routinely so that Alexis can cook for me and stuff.

HEY, ALEXIS. Since you ate six pieces of this and I only got one, GET ON IT. While you're at it, come up with a better name for it, too. I have a case of the lazies.

Mixed Berry Ring

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
Blueberries
Strawberries, hulled and halved
Blackberries (the goal is to end up with 1 1/2 cups of fruit - mix it up as you see fit)
6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Start by making some mixed berry sauce magic. Toss a couple of blackberries, sliced strawberries, and blueberries in a saucepan -- you're not using all of the fruit. Literally just a handful of it. Add the water and sugar, stir, and heat until the blueberries begin to pop.

In a small cup, mix the cornstarch with a spoonful of water then pour it into the berry mix. Add the vanilla extract as well. Stir it all up, smash some berries with the back of the spoon, and you should end up with a beautiful, thick mixed berry sauce.

3. Set that aside to cool. Place some parchment paper on a large baking sheet and arrange the crescent rolls into a star.

4. Place the unused fruit into the sauce. Stir. You're adding raw fruit to cooked fruit because it helps keep the baking time sane while also keeping things from getting too mushy.

5. Gently scoop the mixed berries into a circle around the center of the crescent roll star. Take the points up and over the berries and tuck them into the middle.

6. Sprinkle a bit of sugar on top of the whole thing. Don't worry if it isn't perfectly pretty. It will still taste amazing.

7. Say hi to your supervisor.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting. If Alexis is anywhere around, you might want to hurry up and eat a ton of it. Once she shows up, it's all over.

10. Plan for a chocolate, marshmallow, and banana version because Mila said it out loud and now it needs to happen.