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Beyond Blueberries: The Rest of Berry Season Awaits ๐ซ
Published about 9 hours agoย โขย 2 min read
Hi Reader,
You brought home the berries. โ A pint of raspberries. A basket of blackberries. Strawberries that smelled almost too good in the store to leave. โ Now they're sitting on the counter, and Tuesday is coming. โ You know how this goes. By Tuesday, you'll be standing in front of the refrigerator eating raspberries straight from the carton, "checking for quality control." Not one has become the French tart you pictured. โ That's not failure. โ Berries don't need much. A few months of sun and rain do most of the work before we ever touch them, and they land at the intersection of sweet, tart, floral, and fleeting. The best summer dessert is often the one that gets out of the way. โ Sure, fold them into cheesecake. Scatter them over a pavlova. Churn them into ice cream. Or, some nights, eat them standing at the counter with the light of the open refrigerator on your face. โ Both count.
For Better Berries
Buy with your nose first. If berries smell fragrant, they'll usually taste as good as they look. Beautiful but scentless berries are all hat and no cattle.
Wash them right before eating. Moisture cuts their shelf life fast. Dry them thoroughly before storing.
Don't bury them under too much sugar. Taste first. Great berries often need little more than a squeeze of lemon or a dollop of softly whipped cream.
Pair them wisely. Lemon, almonds, vanilla, dark chocolate, and a splash of balsamic all work alongside berries without overpowering them.
Eat a handful standing at the counter, before they ever make it into a recipe, then pick a dessert from the desserts gathered below. Which berry are you starting with tonight?
Jamie Oliver's skillet lemon cheesecake has a sweet cookie crust and sweet-tart lemon and raspberry filling. It comes together in fewer than 30 minutes and is the easiest cheesecake you'll ever make.
This raspberry almond crumble cake is made with toasted ground almonds, fresh or frozen raspberries, and a brown sugar streusel topping. It's an easy dessert, but we'd happily nosh on it at breakfast, too.
This raspberry crostata is made with fresh raspberries and an easy peasy pie crust that's folded over the fruit. Simple, rustic, and fast. The perfect dessert when it's just the two of you.
The inclusion of creme or crรจme fraรฎche offers a lovely tang and the lack of an overbearing vanilla presence means there's nothing to distract you or compete with the dairy or the blackberries for your attention.
This strawberry ice cream pie is an easy summer dessert made with a crunchy walnut crust, strawberry ice cream, fresh strawberries, and a rich balsamic drizzle.
This strawberry buttermilk ice cream is made with an egg-free buttermilk and cream base with strawberries and lemon mixed in. Sweet, creamy, tangy, and completely irresistible.
Weโve paired the citrus-forward notes of crisp vodka with a Mexican lime soda, before adding sweet raspberries and rich Chambord for a delicious, decadent pitcher.
For this easy chocolate pavlova with raspberries, a dark chocolate meringue is topped with a layer of whipped Nutella cream and a jumble of fresh raspberries. Go on, indulge yourself. We certainly did.
Why, hello! Leite's Culinaria is the James Beard Award-winning site that helps home cooks and bakers put dinner on the table and laughs in the kitchen. Hungry for more? Join 40,000 food lovers and subscribe.
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