The Blackberry Bramble - An Apology and Alcohol

Hi, remember me? No? I can’t blame you if you don’t. Remember way back in the day when I said I’d be posting more frequently? I believe I may have even pinky sworn at the time! Well, the universe certainly showed me who was boss and things slowly, but surely, slipped away from me.

It’s been an incredibly busy summer and I’ve got some really great recipes coming your way if you DO want to stay for a while. I planted an honest-to-goodness garden this year and that led to a renewed interest in canning. I’ve traveled quite a bit and have tried some really delicious food. I’ve even had a great opportunity to do a write up for one of my favorite blogs that I’ll tell you about in a later post.

For the time being, can I offer an apology for my total lack of posting by way of a delicious late-summer beverage? Believe me, you’re going to want to try this. The recipe is super simple and you only have to wait a few days before enjoying the fruits of your labor. Literally.

I have a blackberry bush that basically exploded with blackberries this year and I searched the web for fun recipes. I was tired of the same old jams, cakes and pies so when I found a recipe for a Blackberry Bramble, I knew it was the one.

The recipe calls for crème de mure (blackberry liquor), which is supposedly hard to find. Luckily, the same website had a link to a recipe to make your own.  If you don’t have your own blackberry bush, don’t let that deter you! Run to the store and grab some from your produce aisle. You could even use frozen in a pinch.

Make these now, you won’t regret it!

Recipe for crème de mure found at Serious Eats.

Recipe for Blackberry Bramble adapted liberally from Serious Eats.

Creme de Mure Ingredients

• 2 cups blackberries
• 3/4 cup brandy
• 1 1/4 cups vodka
• 1/2-inch piece of lime zest without pith (optional, I left it out)

1. 1 cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, mixed until sugar dissolves)
2. Place the blackberries and lime zest in a sealable glass jar, muddle lightly to release juice and then add brand and vodka. Seal and shake. Let mixture steep for 3 days at room temperature away from direct sunlight.
3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down to extract juice, then filter mixture through two layers of cheesecloth. Discard solids.
4. Combine blackberry infusion and simple syrup in a sealable bottle or jar (I used an old vodka bottle), then shake to mix. Let rest for a minimum of one day. Store in the refrigerator for up to two months.

Blackberry Bramble Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces gin (I used New Amsterdam)
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice (or just use a good-quality bottled version in a pinch)
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup (I found this amount to be too sweet, so use it to taste)
• 3/4 ounce creme de mure (blackberry liqueur)
• Top off with club soda

1. Combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in an old-fashioned glass and stir to mix. Fill with crushed ice and briefly stir. Gently pour liqueur atop ice. Optionally garnish with fresh blackberries and a slice of lemon or lime.

I found the drink to be equal parts too sweet and sour when mixed as directed. I decreased the amount of simple syrup since the blackberry liqueur is fairly sweet. I also thought the drink was much more refreshing after adding a splash of club soda. Call me a lightweight, but these things are strong without it!

Easy as Pie

Photo from foodandwine.com

Have you ever taken on a task that you KNEW was too large for you to handle? I did exactly that when I decided to start a food blog as I was starting a new job and starting college again all at the same time. It reminds me of the time I had a dinner party for about twenty people and I decided that would be a great time to try to make a croquembouche as the dessert centerpiece. Smart? Nope. Crazy and insane? Yes. Totally awesome and delicious? Absolutely yes.

I say all of this to say that I'm back and I've learned to better juggle all of these fun things in my life so you can expect a lot more yummy recipes in the future and fun stories to go along with them. Pinkie swear!

To ease my way back into the food blogging world, I wanted to start with something easy.  No, it's INCREDIBLY easy, actually. You're just combining some very simple ingredients (crust, caramel and whipped cream) and your payoff is huge.

There is a decent amount of inactive cooking time involved, but you can sit back and relax during that inactive time so no problem, right? Of course, you have to pretend that the recipe is incredibly difficult when you serve it to guests since they will never believe something so insanely good could be so easy.  Trust me, try this one...

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 5 ounces)
2. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3. 1/4 cup light brown sugar
4. Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
5. Fleur de sel
6. 2 cups heavy cream
7. 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and light brown sugar until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly into a 9-inch glass or metal pie plate. Bake for about 10 minutes, just until lightly browned. Let cool. Increase the oven temperature to 425°.
2. Scrape the condensed milk into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish and sprinkle with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of fleur de sel. Cover the dish with foil and place it in a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the pan to reach one-third of the way up the side of the baking dish. Bake, lifting the foil to stir 2 or 3 times, until the condensed milk is golden and thickened, about 2 hours; add more water to the roasting pan as necessary. The consistency of the caramel should be like dulce de leche. Don't worry if it is lumpy; it will smooth out as it chills.
3. Scrape the caramel filling into the pie crust, smoothing the top. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable oil spray and cover the pie. Refrigerate until the filling is chilled and set, at least 4 hours.
4. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream with the confectioners' sugar until firm. Remove the plastic. Mound the whipped cream on top of the pie and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Cut into wedges and serve.

Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 up to 5 days ahead. Refrigerate the crust and filling separately. 

I used the boil on the stove method instead of baking mine in a pan in the oven as instructed in Step 2. Just put your cans in a pot big enough to be sure they're covered by at least an inch or two of water and bring to a boil. Boil the cans for about two hours making sure to add water to the pan to keep the cans covered. I then added the salt after emptying the cans into a bowl first. There are all sorts of warnings about the stove method, but I've never had a problem. Be sure to let them cool for at least an hour before opening them up.