Blackberry Season

Blackberry Almond Scones & pies & some Jammin Jam & oh yeah, Pure unadulterated Joy!

Problems of privilege are pretty much a nonissue this year, right? Well, I've found one! As the optimist on the team, I feel it is my duty to find the silver lining, No. Matter. What. This year is proving to be extremely challenging in that regard, but, not to worry, I've got it! in this case, I've found a luscious black lining. Just a lovely drive up the coast & there are endless miles of wild berries for the picking. Free! Last year I focused on huckleberries but this year the blackberries are captivating me, swooning me away from all the scary, ugly 2020 distractions from my pursuit of Pure unadulterated Joy.

Pies, hand pies, jams, scones - all manner of delights can be made with sweet ripe wild blackberries, don't feel like going on a foraging expedition? Costco, Farmer's Market, or the grocery will have blackberries too! They also grow like crazy and come back every year if you're the gardening type.

Jammin', Jammin' hope you like jammin' too! This jam recipe works great, it's easy, thick, and not too sweet, even with really ripe berries, it's perfect. I love canning it in German weck and clamp jars.

And your homemade jam deserves a top-notch ride; I recommend our all-time fav popover recipe. They never fail, the recipe is for oversized popovers & I like my more normal size pan (below) so I just pour the excess in a buttered coffee mug or whatever to bake it.

This is my secret (lol) perfect pie recipe, great for blackberries too, I just mash them a bit first.

Blackberry Almond Scones (regular or a delicious vegan option)

These are simply mind-blowing, practically medicinal if you need a little 2020 cheering up.

Makes 20, they freeze well raw and you can bake them as desired. I make these when I have really good berries, wild gathered or just really sweet, juicy, and ripe, it would work with any ripe berries.

You will need two cookie sheets, parchment or silpat, a pastry brush, and 350 degrees preheated oven if you want to bake some now.

Whisk together in a bowl;

3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 and 1/2 sticks (6oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/5 inch slices (or Miyoko vegan butter)

Toss in, and then, with your fingers, rub together the butter and the dry ingredients, leaving some small pieces of butter still intact is fine.

Top with, and then fold together until incorporated;

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Zest of three lemons

9 oz buttermilk (or coconut milk)

Prepare;

2 oz butter, melted and cooled a bit

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups ripe smallish or halved blackberries (it's ok if they are juicy & soft)

Plop the dough out onto a floured surface and press together gently, knead, folding it together just ten times. Separate into two halves. Roll each out into a rectangular 12 inch by 7 inches, about 1/2 inch thick piece. Brush with butter leaving 1/2 inch edge on the long side empty. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the sugar, dot with 1 cup of the berries. Roll the long side toward the empty 1/2 inch and end with the seam down and then snuggle it together. Cut with a serrated knife in generous 1.2 inch slices and put well spaced onto parchment or silpat lined sheets. Each half makes 10 scones.

Brush the scone tops with the rest of the melted butter & sprinkle generously with the rest of the sugar. Freeze here, if you choose, on the sheet & then wrap them up to store in the freezer once they are hard. Otherwise, bake at 350 for at least 18 minutes, they get just a bit golden, but take them out before the juicy bottoms get too dark.