Berries, Berries...and More Berries

It is berry season in the Northwest and I could not be more thrilled. After a long winter and early spring that felt like it consisted of way too many apples, pears and citrus, it is now time for a little fruit fun. Don't get me wrong, I like apples, pears and citrus. But, after several months of the same thing, one does start to dream of the fruits of spring and summer. And, since Dan and I like to eat seasonally and locally as much as possible, we will be making the most of this summer's fruit bounty. I have already baked a couple of buckle cakes. One was a mix of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries and the other was strawberry rhubarb. So far, I have only baked one berry crisp but I am sure that there will be a few more. One of the things that I am most looking forward to, is trying out some of jam recipes from a new cookbook that I picked up last month called The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders. Before strawberry season is over (which probably just has another couple of weeks), I want to make a batch of the Strawberry Jam with Aged Balsamic & Black Pepper recipe. It will be a lovely way to preserve the flavor of summer so that it can be savored in the depths of a cold and wet Portland winter.

Blackberry Jam

Dan and I finally got up the nerve to trying canning on our electric stove in our little home in Portland. We hadn't canned anything since last fall, so we were a little bit nervous and feeling a tad rusty. But, everything went well and we even managed to can two batches of jam in just a few hours yesterday afternoon. 

The berries are just glorious in the Pacific Northwest. We had great berries in California but nothing like the ones that I have tasted here. I had purchased a half-flat of Oregon blackberries from one of the farmers at out little, neighborhood farmers market in King. Their sole purpose was to become jam. However, they were so ripe and delicious that we were barely able to control ourselves and not eat them right out of the box. Fortunately, we have a bit of willpower and 15 half-pint jars of blackberry jam to show for it. Most of which, will more than likely be given away as gifts. Our next canning project is raspberry jam while those are still in season. Oh, we are still hoping to find some local apricots as well since that is one of our favorite jams.

Mixed Berry Buckle

I love buckles. They are one of my favorite desserts. They are easy to make and work with a large variety of fruit, so that you can bake them all year around with what is in season. However, I do have a special place in my heart for the buckles that I bake in spring and summer with all of the delicious berries from my local farmer's market. 

If you are not familiar with buckles, they are a homey, old-fashioned dessert that is believed to have originated back in Colonial times. It is basically a cake with fruit baked into it and has a streusel top. They are great for dessert but they are also wonderful for brunch since they are very similar to a coffee cake.

Mixed Berry Buckle

(adapted from Williams-Sonoma Fruit Dessert cookbook)

Serves 8

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 oz. unsweetened apple sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups mixed fresh berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry or any combo you like), rinsed

Ground cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

1. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350˚ F. Coat a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Line the bottom with parchment (baking) paper and coat the paper with more spray.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, applesauce and sugar for about 5 minutes. Because of the applesauce, it will look curdled but it is okay. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix well. The batter will be thick.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Then poke the berries into the batter. In a small bowl combine ¼  teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespooons of sugar, and sprinkle over the top.

4. Bake until the top is golden, the edges pull away from the sides of the pan and a skewer or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.

5. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Once cool, run a knife around the edge in case the cooked fruit has stuck to the sides of the pan. Then place a large plate over the pan and invert the cake onto it. Remove the parchment paper, then place your serving plate on top and re-invert the cake onto it.  Serve with fresh whipped cream, if desired.

Notes and Variations:

You don’t need to use just mixed berries. You can make this will a lot of different fruits depending on what is in season. I have made this with blueberries (alone), plums, nectarines and pears. I have a friend who has made this with mango.

Get adventurous with adding a little flavor. I sometimes add cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter and not just on top. Also, cardamon is great with pears if you’re making this in the fall. Or add the zest from a lemon or orange.

The original recipe called for 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter. That much fat in a single-layer caked scared me so I have substituted 4oz of unsweetened applesauce for the second stick of butter. But, if you want it full-fat, go ahead and make the change back to the original.