Blackberry Bliss

Well, I've written about rhubarb, strawberries, lemon, raspberries... it's about time I did post on blackberries. Our blackberry bushes are doing exceptionally well this year, and new shoots keep coming - just sprouting up out of the lawn of their own accord.

To be honest, I don't love blackberries as much as other sorts. Some of that is from suffering their abominable thorns (Even on the leaves! Why do they need thorns on the leaves too???) Some of it's because they're kinda sour, unless you allow them to ripen to a certain few-hour-long window where they taste sweet. Let them go any longer, and the berries turn into smushy little blobs of alcohol. But I digress...

(Just now, I glanced back up at the cutesy, alliterative title I put on this post, and realized I've made blackberries sound like the least blissful thing in the world. Sorry about that. I'm good at being negative. But anyhow, once you ex the berries from their thorny bushes and eat them at the appropriate level of ripeness, they're pretty great. Really.)

As we saw with the rhubarb, the dessert options can go far beyond a classic pie. Here are some favorites I've tried...

Peach Berry Pie

The peaches are so sweet, they help to balance out the zing of the blackberries. Blind baking the crust is an important step here. With such a dense fruit filling, there's a risk of soggy bottom if we don't bake the pastry ahead. This recipe I pulled from an old issue of Victoria magazine.

Blackberry Tartlets

Aren't these little tart dishes just the cutest? It makes for a perfect personal-size dessert :) I threw together this easy peasy blackberry tart yesterday and it was a marvelously rich taste of summer. Shortbread crust recipe from Add a Pinch. Recipe for stovetop cooked fruit filling from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom.

Anti-Victoria Sandwich

Still one of my favorite cakes to date. A spinoff of the classic and oh-so-British dessert. See my post on it here.

Blackberry Zucchini Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

I've made this dessert every summer for the past 5 years now. Except this time, I tried it with blackberries instead of blueberries. The decoration remained largely the same. Pansies always add a nice finishing touch!

Happy baking!

Thank you for stopping by,

Eva