EVERY year around this time you start to see scratched and disheveled souls, margarine tubs in hand, clawing their way through the brambly thickets along roadsides throughout the Lower Mainland.
It's blackberry season, and the free bounty of fresh juicy berries is hard to resist. The Himalayan Blackberry has found a perfect habitat on our coast, and while the vines pose a thorny problem for gardeners (including me), at least the berries offer some compensation. If you're picking in a secluded area make sure to make lots of noise to let bears know you're coming - they're partial to blackberries too.
BLACKBERRY COBBLER
This is probably the dessert most often associated with fresh blackberries, and for good reason. It's easy to make and completely fabulous.
2½ cups fresh blackberries ½ - ¾ cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the berries - better to add a bit less than you think you need, especially if you're serving cobbler with ice cream)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 cup milk
½ cup butter, melted
In a medium bowl stir together blackberries and sugar. Crush the berries a bit with a potato masher and let stand for about 20 minutes until berries release their juices and a fruit syrup forms in bowl. Preheat oven to 375F.
In a large bowl stir together flour, one tablespoon of sugar, baking powder and salt, then stir in milk. Add melted butter and stir gently until blended. Spread batter in an ungreased 8x8-inch non-metal baking dish. Spoon blackberry mixture over batter and bake 45-55 minutes until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
BLACKBERRY SCONES
1 egg
¾ cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter, frozen
2 Tbsp sugar + 2 Tbsp for sprinkling on top 1 cup fresh blackberries, gently washed and drained, sprinkled with 2 tsp sugar and then put in freezer for ½ hour (this prevents them from disintegrating when you stir them into the batter)
Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 2 Tbsp sugar.
Using a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients and mix together gently with your fingers. Beat the egg in a small bowl and add the milk; pour into the dry ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Very gently fold in the blackberries. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead into a ball. Lightly pat the dough into a circle about ¾" thick, then cut circle into eighths. Sprinkle scones with remaining 2 Tbsp sugar and transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack before serving.
BLACKBERRY MARGARITAS
A nice reward after a grueling afternoon of picking berries! Buy a premium tequila, you can really taste the difference.
1½ Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
1 lime
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 cup good-quality blanco tequila (sometimes called "silver" tequila)
¾ cup Grand Marnier
2 ?3 cup fresh lime juice
12 oz fresh blackberries
Combine the water and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves completely; cool. Combine the sugar syrup, tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice and blackberries in a blender; process until completely smooth. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a large pitcher and discard solids. Place pitcher in refrigerator for at least two hours to chill.
Mix 1½ tablespoons sugar and the kosher salt in a shallow dish or saucer. Cut the lime into nine wedges; use one wedge to rub the rims of eight margarita glasses. Dip the rims into the salt mixture. Divide margarita mixture among glasses and garnish with the remaining lime wedges.
BLACKBERRY COULIS
Super simple, super delicious - use on ice cream or pancakes, in lemonade, over angel food slices topped with whipped cream, layered with yogurt and granola . . .
8 OZ FRESH BLACKBERRIES
¼ cup berry sugar (or granulated sugar)
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Place blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan with ¼ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes until the fruit is very soft. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool slightly.
Tip the pan contents into a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, pressing solids with the back of a spoon; discard solids. Serve warm or chilled; keeps in the refrigerator for three to four days, or it can be frozen.
