Category Archives: berry

Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp

Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp I love making crisps. They’re every bit as good as pie, but easier and much (!) quicker to make, and can be served warm with vanilla ice cream, so the time between the moment the craving strikes and the moment you dive in spoon-first is mercifully brief.What I’m trying to say is that you need more crisps in your life. *I* need more crisps in *my* life. There’s only one in my archives—a pear, ginger & chocolate concoction that you should absolutely make in the fall—and that is atrocious. Just awful. Especially considering there are so many delicious berries and rhubarb (!!!) available right this second. Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp Berries and rhubarb that can only be improved with hints of ginger and orange and clusters of buttery, brown sugary oat & walnut dough scattered over the top and baked until…well…crisp.Sweet, tart, jammy, gorgeous, and seriously simple, this seasonal dessert can only be improved with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The way it melts into the spaces between the fruit and the crisp topping is just… Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp …well, I guess you’ll have to make the recipe and see for yourself.

Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp
makes one 8-inch dish, about 6 servings

Filling:
2 cups diced fresh rhubarb (1/2-inch dice, about 4 stalks)
2 cups fresh raspberries (about 1.5 6-ounce containers)
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of Kosher or sea salt

Topping:
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts (optional)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For Serving:
vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8-inch casserole dish with butter. Set aside.

In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine rhubarb and raspberries. Add orange zest, sugar, cornstarch, ground ginger, and salt, and stir to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish.

Make the topping. In a medium mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, light brown sugar, ground ginger, salt, and chopped raw walnuts. Stir together with a fork. Add melted butter and stir until everything is saturated and clumps form. Scatter topping onto raspberry-rhubarb filling.

Bake 28-30 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving in bowls with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to three days. Reheat before serving. Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp

Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

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Blackberry Shortbread Wedges It’s never fun to come home from vacation, but I think I did it right this time. Returning over the holiday weekend left me ample time to relax, grocery shop, meal prep, put up all the new things I bought in Swan’s Island and Portland, and watch all of The Good Place season 2. I’m calling it a success. Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

Getting back into the groove yesterday wasn’t too terrible, but a piece of my heart is definitely still in Maine. You know, where it’s not 95 degrees. Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

Two days before I packed up to go home, my sister and I walked a good stretch of the North Road at a snail’s pace, picking upwards of a quart of tiny wild blackberries in about two hours. It might sound dull, but I can assure you that Eliot and I were anything but bored. Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

The vast majority of the berries we found were the blackberries we expected, but we also spotted a blueberry patch and two teeny raspberries. All the apple trees were starting to turn, too. Maybe one day I’ll vacation a little later so I can enjoy them. Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

I’ve written before about how I consider baking (and cooking) to be a form of active meditation; I feel the same way about foraging for berries. It’s easy to get lost in the simple process of plucking them from bushes and interacting with nature in a very tactile way. Berry-picking is probably the only time in my life where I am able to peacefully, fearlessly coexist with bees and that I’m not mad about a few good scratches from thorns. If anything, they’re little badges of honor. Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

I’ve made pies with my foraged berries the last three years I’ve been on Swan’s Island, but decided to keep it easy this year, opting instead for these Blackberry Shortbread Wedges.

They’re a slight adaptation of my Sweet Cherry Shortbread Bars (and their apple counterpart), this time baked in an 8-inch round pan. The resulting wedges (or bars or whatever you want to call them) are served up almost like pie, and have a thick, buttery shortbread crust that is difficult to stop eating. You could certainly serve these at room temperature, but my fellow vacationers and I preferred them straight from the fridge. There’s just something about the combination of cold, tangy blackberry filling and rich shortbread. Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

You’ll notice in the photos that I didn’t line the pan with foil or parchment—that’s only because I didn’t have any at our house. Instead, I greased and floured the pan and then sliced and served them directly from the pan. You may follow my lead here, or line the pan with foil and lift them onto a cutting board before slicing. I’ve written instructions for both methods in the recipe. Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

However you choose to go about making these, I urge you to do so in these last weeks of summer. We saw pumpkins for sale as we drove out of Maine on September 1st, and while I am all for pumpkin after September 20th, I’m going to enjoy these end-of-season berries while I can. Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

Blackberry Shortbread Wedges
makes one 8-inch pan, 8-12 wedges

Filling:
3 cups fresh blackberries
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Shortbread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

Place oven racks in top and bottom positions. Preheat oven to 375F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan, or line with aluminum foil, leaving overhang, and grease with butter. Set aside.

Make blackberry filling. In a medium mixing bowl, combine blackberries, lime juice, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. Set aside while you make the shortbread.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. It will be powdery, but should hold together when pinched. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture for topping.

Pour remaining shortbread mixture into prepared pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom of the pan before using your hand to pack it down into an even layer. Prick several times with a fork. Pour blackberry filling over the top, leaving behind any excess liquid. Spread berries into an even layer.

For the topping, use your fingers to pinch together small portions of the reserved shortbread mixture. Scatter them over the top of the blackberry layer.

If your pan is on the shallow side, place it on a rimmed baking sheet to collect any light overflow. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Move bars to the top rack and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, until barely golden. Tent with foil if anything begins to brown too quickly. Let cool in the pan on a rack until they reach room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 90 minutes, or until cold.

If pan was buttered and floured, slice and serve wedges directly from the pan. If it was lined with foil, use overhang to remove to a cutting board. Peel off foil before slicing and serving.

Leftover Blackberry Shortbread Wedges will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. They will soften over time.

Blackberry Shortbread Wedges

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal {Vegan & Gluten-Free}

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Blueberry Baked Oatmeal {Vegan & Gluten-Free} Hello from Swan’s Island!VJ and I got here Saturday afternoon. It was supposed to be us and two more that day, but due to a work snafu, they didn’t join us until yesterday. Thank goodness for our other guest, my sister, Eliot ❤ Since it’s just been the two of us these last few days, meals have been simple. As I’ve mentioned many (many, many, many) times, VJ is a gluten-free vegan. I am neither of those things, but it simply doesn’t make sense to make meat or floury baked goods just for me. I made scrambled eggs and ate a piece of avocado toast, but it was all vegan and gluten-free otherwise.

I’m not complaining. Blueberry Baked Oatmeal {Vegan & Gluten-Free} While everyone else I know was going to work Monday morning, I made this Blueberry Baked Oatmeal for us. Made with gluten-free old-fashioned oats, rice milk,* and aquafaba in place of eggs, it was the perfect way to start the day. And also the next day—it makes enough for six people.

*You could use almond milk or another unsweetened non-dairy milk, but we have a nut-allergic friend here and we’d like not to poison him, you know?This oatmeal is super simple to make. With just a few minutes of prep-work and 40 minutes of bake time, you’ll be rewarded with a rich, cinnamon-spiked oatmeal that is positively bursting with blueberries. Blueberry Baked Oatmeal {Vegan & Gluten-Free} You just need two bowls and a stirring implement to put it together, and you probably have all the ingredients already (with the possible exception of blueberries).VJ and I prefer our oatmeal on the sweet side, so I used 1/2 cup maple syrup here. If you’d like a less-sweet breakfast, you can reduce it to 1/4 cup. Blueberry Baked Oatmeal {Vegan & Gluten-Free} Feel free to add nuts or seeds (toast them with the oats!), or stir in coconut flakes or mashed banana. Everything we eat on Swan’s Island comes from one pre-ferry grocery trip on the mainland, so meals are paired down and simple. I like this oatmeal as-is with an additional drizzle of maple and a pat of butter, but that’s just me.As with many of the recipes on this site, this recipe can be made with many variations. Feel free to take my favorite and make it yours. Blueberry Baked Oatmeal {Vegan & Gluten-Free}

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal {Vegan & Gluten-Free}
makes about 6 servings

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free for gluten-free)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-grated lemon zest
2 cups non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
6 tablespoons aquafaba (or 2 large eggs or 2 flax eggs)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (may be reduced to 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries, divided

For serving:
maple syrup
butter (vegan or regular)
yogurt

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a deep 9-inch pie plate or other casserole dish. Set aside.

Place oats on a dry rimmed baking sheet (or other large pan) and toast in the oven for 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool a few minutes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and stir in cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together non-dairy milk, aquafaba, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Stir in oat mixture.

Reserve 1/4 cup blueberries for topping. Scatter remaining blueberries in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add oatmeal mixture over the top and spread out as evenly as you can. Dot with remaining blueberries. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until the center is lightly set.

Let oatmeal cool for at least 15 minutes before serving with additional maple syrup, butter, and/or yogurt. Oatmeal is best warm or at room temperature.

Leftover oatmeal will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Blueberry Baked Oatmeal {Vegan & Gluten-Free}

Blueberry Doughnuts

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Are you tired of berry recipes yet? I hope not because I’ve got at least a couple more coming this summer……starting with Blueberry Doughnuts.Oh, yes. We’re talking crispy-edged, fluffy-centered cake doughnuts that are absolutely loaded with teeny tiny blueberries. Real blueberries—not whatever sketchy goop they put in the Blueberry Doughnuts you find at the national chains!

Side note: Sorry for saying “goop” on a food blog/website that does not belong to Gwyneth Paltrow. Blueberry Doughnuts But back to doughnuts.

As it’s summer and blueberries are in season, you’d probably guess that I use fresh blueberries here, but you’d be wrong. As you can see in my photos, the fresh blueberries in my grocery stores are the size of marbles right now, and that’s just too big to work in these doughnuts. I tried two batches with those and ended up fishing most of them out of hot oil before they burst and spattered all over my kitchen! Hot oil burns are no fun, and neither are Blueberry Doughnuts with only one or two whole blueberries.The secret to quality homemade Blueberry Doughnuts is to use the smallest blueberries you can find. If you have access to tiny wild blueberries and are somehow sick of eating them by the handful, they would work really well here. If, however, you are like me and don’t live anywhere near a wild blueberry patch, the frozen Wild Boreal Blueberries from Trader Joe’s work just fine 🙂 Blueberry Doughnuts The rest of this recipe is just like making any other cake doughnuts. Fold the blueberries into a simple sour cream dough before rolling and cutting your doughnuts & doughnut holes. The frozen blueberries tend to turn the dough a periwinkle color—this dissipates during frying, but it’s kind of fun, right?! Blueberry Doughnuts These doughnuts get a two minute fry in hot oil before being dipped in a classic glaze. If you want to jazz them up a bit, feel free to swap some of the water in the glaze for lemon juice, or even dip them in a creamy glaze like the one I use for Funfetti Cake Doughnuts!Y’all, homemade Blueberry Doughnuts are sooo delicious! You’ll love their golden exteriors and blueberry-studded interiors, not to mention how surprisingly simple it is to make quality doughnuts at home ❤ Make a batch this weekend!

Blueberry Doughnuts
makes 16-18 2 1/2-inch doughnuts + doughnut holes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (4 oz) full-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed and drained
vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Classic Doughnut Glaze:
1 pound confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup (or mild honey)
6 tablespoons hot tap water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

Combine sour cream and butter in a small bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until butter is totally melted. Let mixture cool a few minutes, until warm to the touch but not uncomfortably hot (if it’s too hot, it could scramble the eggs).

In a small mixing bowl, use a whisk to beat eggs. Whisk in sour cream/butter mixture, followed by vanilla. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to fold wet ingredients into dry. Carefully fold in blueberries. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Dough will be a bit soft.

Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment.

Liberally flour a surface and rolling pin. Uncover dough and transfer it to the floured surface. Roll it out to 1/2-inch thickness. Use a doughnut cutter (or graduated cookie cutters) to cut doughnuts. Place cut doughnuts on prepared pan. Re-roll dough as needed.

Pour about 2 inches of oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 350F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with two layers of paper towels and set a cooling rack over the top.

Once oil reaches frying temperature, slip 2-3 doughnuts into the pot. Fry 1-1.5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Remove to rack. Continue frying in batches of 2-3, letting the oil return to temperature in between. Fry doughnut holes for 1.5-2 minutes, flipping at around 45 seconds (some may flip on their own).

After all doughnuts are fried and cool enough to be handled, make the glaze. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Pour glaze into a shallow dish. Dip one doughnut at a time, spooning more glaze over the top as you go. Transfer back to rack. Repeat with all remaining doughnuts. Glaze will set after 15-20 minutes.

Serve immediately. Doughnuts are best the day they are made. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about a day.
Blueberry Doughnuts