I love Blackberries almost as much as I love Raspberries. You can use either one or alternate one layer Blackberries and the other one Raspberries. I like using both berries. It makes the loaf truly unique. Try it!
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. lime zest
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 cup Blackberries
- 1 cup Raspberries
In your mixer, cream the butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, zest, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternate the butter mixture with the buttermilk. Stir in the lime zest.
To prepare the loaf pan, spray with Pam and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inch border for easy removal. Spread one-third of the batter in the pan. Arrange the Blackberries on the bottom. Add the second third of the batter, adding the Raspberries making sure to spread out evenly. Top with the remaining batter.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 55-60 minutes. Test to check for doneness. Cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes. Turn out on the rack to cool completely.
Drizzle with a glaze of icing sugar and lime juice.(use your own measurement here for your taste). Stir vigorously until smooth and drizzle over the top of the loaf.
Yum
Blackberry/Lime Easter Dessert
Easter is coming soon and you will probably have company coming or, even better, being asked out but bring a dessert. Here you are – so easy and certainly easy to take out.
- 2 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
- pinch of cinnamon
- 6-7 tbsp. melted butter
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 tbsp. of lime zest, save 1 tsp.
- 1 tbsp. lime juice, divided
- 4 large eggs
- 4 pkgs. Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 cup whipping cream, whipped and sweetened.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Line a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper, with ends hanging over for easy removal.
Mix together the cracker crumbs, 2 tbsp. sugar, cinnamon and melted butter and press into the prepared pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Reserve 1/2 cup berries and 1 tsp. zest for later.
Beat together the cream cheese, lime juice, remaining zest and sugar until completely smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time on low speed, mixing well. Fold in the berries carefully and pour into the pan.
Bake 35-40 minutes until almost completely set (just giggle to check). Remove from the oven and cool down completely.
Refrigerate for 5-6 hours and when preparing to serve – pull out with the ‘handles’ of parchment paper and cut into bars. Top with a dollop of whipped cream , a berry and sprinkle the lime zest over.
Blackberry/Mango Individual Pies
Mango and Blackberries make a super combination and , in this dessert, each person gets their own…no way you will want to share this with anyone. Serve these warm with either mango ice cream or really good quality ice cream.
- 1 large mango (pitted, peeled and diced)
- 2 cups blackberries, washed and patted dry
- 7 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. corn starch
- 1 tbsp. lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 x 1 lb. pkg. phyllo, cut into an 8 x 8 inch square
- Butter flavoured vegetable spray
Heat oven to 425 degrees and lime a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the mango, blackberries, 1 tbsp. sugar, cornstarch and lime juice and toss well to coat the fruit.
Place one sheet of phyllo in front of you, with a corner facing you and spray with the butter spray, sprinkle a 1/2 tsp. sugar over the surface and repeat this with three more sheets of the phyllo, laying them on top of each other.
Place 2 heaping tsp. of fruit 1/3 of the way from the bottom of the phyllo. Fold left and right points over the filling, overlapping by 1 inch. Fold the bottom corner up, enclosing the filling. Loosely roll up to form a cylindical shape about 4 1/2 – 5 inches long.
Repeat this until all the phyllo and fruit are used up- should make 8. Spray the tops and sides of the pastry with the butter spray and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
Bake until a deep golden colour and turn the baking sheet once during the 25 minute baking time. Slide the parchment paper and pies onto a rack to cool slightly.
Serve warm with ice cream, What a treat! Bring on the movies…..Yum!
Peach and Blackberry Cobbler
This makes a great Summer/early Fall, anytime kind of dessert. I promise you, the dishes will be licked clean.
- 6 peaches, peeled and sliced thin
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch of nutmeg (small one)
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 pre-made 10 inch pie sheet (from the grocer’s)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring all the filling ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan, then turn down the heat and simmer until it becomes thick. (Don’t let it burn).
Spray with non-stick Pam an 8 or 9 inch springform pan, spread the mixture evenly until it is all used.
Cover with the pastry topping (you can make your own, of course). I even like using 4-5 phyllo sheets (pre-buttered between the layers). Be sure to brush an egg wash over the pastry and then sprinkle with about 2 tbsp. of sugar.
Bake for about 15 minutes. Check it and then turn down the temperature to 350 and watch that it browns evenly without burning.
Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving with either ice cream or whipped cream.
Need I say, this is yummy?
Blackberry/Cranberry Coffee Cake
This recipe is very popular with all who have eaten it. Always asking for the recipe. Here it is.
- 2 1/3 cups of flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tsps. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup Crisco oil
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together 2 cups of the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl. In your electric mixer, beat the eggs until frothy and add the milk and oil.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour and mix together until blended. Add the cranberries and carefully fold in the blackberries so as not to break them up. Place in a greased tube or bundt pan.
Now mix together the remaining flour, brown sugar, butter, nuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake batter. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert on your prettiest cake plate. “Damn I did this”……AGAIN! When plating, add a dollop of whipped cream and a couple of blackberries.
Parfait With Blackberries, Candied Ginger And Granola
This is a great breakfast fare when you have company for the weekend..be it for a wedding, long weekend get-together, Anniversary celebration….it is sinple, fantastic in taste and showy in presentation. Go for it!
- 5 1/2 cups granola
- 1 cup dried cherries, chopped coarsely
- 2 tbsp. candied ginger, finely chopped
- 3 – 17.6 oz. containers of a good Greek yogurt
- honey
- large plastic, resealable plastic bag
Mix together the granola, dried cherries and ginger together in a bowl and set aside..
In the bottom of your trifle bowl, pour the yogurt into the plastic bag, snip off the corner and pipe a 1 inch thick layer on the bottom of the bowl.
Scatter 1 1/2 cups of the berries on the yogurt layer and drizzle with honey.
Sprinkle 3 cups of the granola over the berries. Repeat this one time…layer of yogurt, berries and honey and granola mixture. Mound 1 cup of berries in the center and drizzle with warm honey.
When we ran the Bed and Breakfast, I would make individual parfait dishes for our guests. They are pretty, have the wow factor and taste so scrumptious.
Chilled juice and pots of freshly brewed coffee. You can also serve with warm-from-the-oven muffins that you also made.
Blackberry-Blue Plum Crumb Tart
We live in an area where all the fruit you can imagine is grown here-cherries, peaches, apricots, pears, apples, grapes (table and wine), plums, raspberries, blackberries, figs, and on and on. Lucky us.
This is a wonderful tasting and not difficult tart to make. Simply ensure that the plums you use are firm, not soft. If they are on the soft side, the tart will not set properly.
- 3/4 cups unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
- 1/3 cups hazelnuts
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp. sifted flour
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 4 medium blue plums, firm
- 1 half-pint blackberries
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp. almond flavouring
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- pinch of grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9″ springform pan and set aside. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake until they become fragrant (8-10 minutes). Rub the nuts in a clean towel to remove the skins. Let cool and pulse in a food processor until medium fine in texture.
Transfer the nuts now to a mixer with a paddle attachment. Sift the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and mix until combined. Add the butter and mix until the crumbs begins to stick together (2-3 minutes). Press 3 cups of the crumbs in the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1 1/2 inches to form the tart crust. Reserve the remaining crumbs for later. Bake the tart shell in the oven for about 18-20 minutes and set aside.
Slice the plums in half and remove the pits. Slice the plums into eighths. Scatter 3/4 cup of the berries and the sliced plums onto the cooled crust and set aside.
Whisk together 1 tbsp. of the flour and 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar, almond flavouring, egg, egg yolk, cream and milk together until well blended. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix together. Pour this over the fruit, top with the remaining crumb topping and bake in the oven for about 45-55 minutes, until golden and custard has set.
Garnish with the remaining berries and let rest for about 25 minutes. Serve this warm or room temperature with, of course, whipped cream or a wonderfully decadent vanilla ice cream.
Pistachio Crusted Chicken With Blackberry Sauce
What a gourmet way to serve four people a chicken dinner. True! It looks and tastes like a 5 star restaurant…well, I guess it is ‘cuz it is yours.
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup Crisco oil
- 3-6 tsp. water (optional)
Puree the blackberries, vinegar and sugar in a blender until smooth. With blender running, slowly add the oil. Add water until it is as thin you want it to be for a sauce. Set aside.
- 1 cup chopped pistachios
- 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp. plus pinch of kosher salt
- 3 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
- 1/3 cup honey mustard
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise not salad dressing
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 4 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves, butterflied
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp. peanut oil
- 4 cups mixed spring greens
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
Preheat oven top 375 degrees. Mix the nuts, panko crumbs, 1 tsp. salt and 2 pinches of pepper to a bowl. Mix the honey mustard, mayo, Dijon mustard and remaining salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper to a bowl.
Dip the chicken pieces, one at a time, to completely coat and press gently to adhere.
Divide equal amounts of the butter and peanut oil to a skillet and cook the chicken pieces on medium heat for about 4 minutes each side. Transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for another 15 minutes until completely cooked through.
Put equal amounts of the mixed spring greens on 4 salad plates, chicken on top. Add some fresh berries and place the sauce on the side. YUMMY!
Wine anyone?
Blackberry and Lime Muffins
I am so used to making muffins that, since we moved, I don’t make them as much but I still make them whenever and as often as I can. This one is a really nice recipe. It is actually a take on my blueberry muffins (from my cookbook).
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- grated rind of one lime
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, not margarine
1 pint of fresh blackberries (I use 1 -2 tbsp. sugar sprinkled over the top and lighty tossed) to eliminate the really sour bite. Omit it if you wish.
Preheat oven to 425 and spray Pam on your muffin tins and set aside.
In a medium size bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, grated lime, salt and baking powder. Melt the butter in a glass measuring cup and add the milk. Whisk in the egg and, after making a well in the dry ingredients, add the liquids all at once.
Carefully, fold this together (do not over mix). Fold in the blackberries. I use an ice cream scoop to fill the tins. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. They should be lightly golden on top. Test to be sure they are cooked.
Turn out on a cooling rack and place a large dollop of cream cheese icing mixed with 1 tbsp. whipping cream over the top to melt and slide down the sides of the muffin. The use of the whipping cream takes away the sweetness attack from the icing.
Absolute heaven and your house smells fabulous. Now…..what do you take in yourcoffee?
** Splenda size envelopes as what you would find in restaurants for your coffee.
Blackberry Syrup
This is super easy and you can use it for any dessert, pancakes, or scones, etc.
- 2 cups fresh Blackberries
- 1/4 cup berry sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice (no pulp)
In a saucepan, combine these ingredients and cook over five minutes over medium heat.
Lower heat when the sauce begins to simmer and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Serve warm over whatever you want . It is yummy, yummy in the old tummy. Pancakes never tasted sooooo good!
Mixed Berry Crisp
Summer brings on wonderful dishes and this is one of them.
Serves 8
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Sauce
- 3/4 cup berry sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 tsp grated orange rind
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups blackberries
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 cup peeled and sliced peaches
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl combine first five ingredients and press one half of the mixture in a greased nine inch cake pan.
To make the sauce, combine the sugar and cornstarch, whisk in the cold water and orange peel until smooth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cook for five minutes or until thick and clear, whisking constantly.
Toss the fruit together and arrange over the base. Pour sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining flour mixture and bake for fifty-five-sixty minutes until fruit is tender and top is golden in colour. Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream.
This is a nice take on the apple crisp recipes everyone has.
Summer Berry Scones
Sometimes only the taste and flavour of a scone will feed the soul and body when you want something “different”. I just may have the right thing.
You will need:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 3 tbsp. berry sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 6 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup fresh Blackberries
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup whipping cream
- 2 large eggs
- Berry sugar for sprinkling.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the first 4 ingredients.
Cut the butter pieces in until resembling small peas. Now add the berries and zest. Be careful not to mush the berries.
Whisk together the cream and eggs until well mixed. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquids all at once. Gently with a fork stir until it just comes together.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead a couple of times to combine. This will be sticky. Pat the dough into a 6 inch square and, now with a knife that has been dipped in flour, cut into six rectangles and then cut through the rectangle to make triangle shaped scones.
Transfer these to a cookie sheet topped with parchment paper. Brush the scones with a little extra cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake about 30 minutes, checking to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Yummy and comforting. Add butter and jam or lemon curd and enjoy.