|

Berried treasures for summer

truffles Berried treasures for summer
photo by lissalou66

Raspberries are expensive to buy at the grocery store. It’s cheaper to pick them yourself at a U-pick farm, buy them at your local farmers’ market or grow your own. They mold quickly, so you’ll want to use them up or freeze them as soon as possible. They’re healthy for you and delicious on their own or incorporated into salads, drinks, jams or baked goods. If you have an abundance of raspberries this season, the following recipes offer fresh suggestions to help complement your summer meals.

Raspberry Truffles

8 ounces semisweet chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
3-1/2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur
cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, finely chopped nuts, coconut

Cook’s note: You will need a double boiler for this recipe. If you don’t have one, just put a bowl on top of the pan in which you are simmering the water. Works like a charm. — Nancy, Virginia

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter over simmering water. Remove from heat, and add jam and liqueur. Stir well, but do not overmix. Refrigerate until firm. Shape into balls (using a melon baller or small cookie scoop), and roll in cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, chopped nuts or coconut.
Refrigerate. Makes about 35 truffles.

Onion-Raspberry Chutney

Article continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here


4 cups yellow onion, chopped
2 cups red onion, chopped
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup fresh jalapenos (3 or 4 jalapenos), seeded and finely chopped
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons orange zest, finely grated
2 (12-ounce) packages frozen red raspberries, thawed, or 3 cups fresh

Combine all ingredients except raspberries in a large kettle. Cover and bring to boil. Uncover and boil gently 25 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add raspberries to chutney, stirring lightly. Return to boil, and boil gently for 4 minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour hot chutney into sterilized jars, and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Or can using U.S. Department of Agriculture canning guidelines for longer storage. Makes about 3-1/2 pints. — Brenda, Missouri

Raspberry Curd

1 pint container raspberries, about 2 cups
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Puree raspberries in a food processor. Put puree in a pan with butter and sugar. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and ingredients are well combined. Let cool to tepid, then stir in eggs. Return pan to very low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until curd thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Don’t let curd cook too fast or it will curdle. Work curd through a sieve to remove the seeds. — Kathi S., California

Peach-Raspberry Cobbler

6 cups peaches, freshly sliced
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups raspberries, fresh
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Toss peaches with 1/3 cup sugar, and arrange in a buttered, 11-by-14-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle raspberries evenly over the top. In a small bowl, mix flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, milk, egg and butter. Pour mixture over fruit in a striped pattern so some fruit shows through. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake 45 minutes, until topping is golden brown. — Kat, Tennessee

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Posted by on June 11 2009. Filed under Frugal Cooking.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook


1 Comment for “Berried treasures for summer”

  1. Michelle Sackett

    I can’t wait to make those raspberry truffles for Dave for his birthday. He loooooves raspberry paired w/chocolate. :-)

    1

Leave a Reply

MOST RECENT

You may also like

Frugal & simple living »

Joy doubles when shared

Joy doubles when shared

Frugality often leads to simplicity. For some people it comes naturally, but others struggle with small details, redefining luxuries and shiny-object syndrome. I was in a “make it pretty” industry as a career, so that really stuck with me at home, too. But when it came down to prioritizing, many details were sucking the life [...]


Frugal Cooking »

Warm the bones and the heart

Warm the bones and the heart

photo by yugoq I’m lost without my daily coffee, or at least tea or hot cocoa. Sometimes they perk me up and other times they completely relax me. We’ve become old friends through the years. They were my hand warmers during my long nights of studying in college. They are my go-to drinks when I’m [...]


Home & family »

Start planning for a debt-free holiday

Start planning for a debt-free holiday

photo by vieux bandit Plan ahead for the upcoming holidays. If you’re organized, you’ll avoid overspending. Don’t wait until the last minute. There are plenty of ways you can prepare so you’re not completely stressed out later. Previously, I mentioned putting together a frugal notebook (www.frugalvillage.com/2009/05/22/create-a-frugal-notebook). One section to include in your binder is a [...]


Question & Answer »

The best way to pack dishes

The best way to pack dishes

DEAR SARA: What’s the best box for packing china? I have lots of china. I own about 16 place settings, plus a bunch of more complete pieces. I’m wondering whether it would be more secure in Rubbermaid totes, then I don’t have to worry about the bottom falling out of a cardboard box, and perhaps [...]


Frugal Tips »

Make candles last longer

Make candles last longer

photo by house of sims Trim your candlewicks each time you use them. You’ll save money because they’ll last longer and will prevent your candles from smoking. The first tip shares a simple household tool you can use. TRIM CANDLEWICK: Just thought I’d pass along a solution I’ve discovered for trimming candlewicks so the burned [...]