Fresh Blackberry Tarts

Sweet summer berries are the star in these fresh blackberry tarts baked in puff pastry with a hint of balsamic, honey and sea salt. Treat yourself and serve them with thick pouring cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The best thing about summer is all of the fresh produce that is suddenly available from either local sources or at least ones that don’t add airmiles to the price. I think we can all agree that anything picked nearby tastes more like it should since it’s allowed to ripen on the vine or bush instead of in the hold of a truck or airplane.

In the Channel Islands, there are blackberry bushes growing wild! Here they are called brambles and despite the vicious thorns, we wait eagerly for the berries to ripen so we can pick them. Nothing beats free fruit, am I right?

Fresh Blackberry Tarts

Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry sheets come in a box of two with a total weight of 1.1 lbs or 490g. I used only one sheet for these four tarts.

Ingredients for four individual tarts

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but chilled (I used Pepperidge Farm, see note above)

12 oz or 340g fresh blackberries

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 teaspoons butter

Optional to serve: thick pouring cream or vanilla ice cream.

Method

In a mixing bowl, toss the blackberries and the cornstarch together. 

Add in the honey, vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir gently to combine. Set aside to macerate for 10 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and prepare a baking pan by lining it with baking parchment or a silicone liner. 

Gently unroll the puff pastry and cut it into four equal pieces. Place them in the prepared pan. Fold the sides up slightly, pinching them together to form an outside crust. If the sides don’t want to stick together, wet them with just a drop or two of water to help them adhere to each other.  

Give the blackberry bowl a good stir then divide the mixture between the four crusts. 

Top with 1/2 teaspoon butter each, cut into little bits.

Bake in your preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the crusts are puffed and browned.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool. As you can see, some of the juice ran out but the tarts were still juicy and the blackberries were soft.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Serve with fresh cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with blackberries! Check out the links below. 

• Blackberry and Apple Slaw from Palatable Pastime
• Blackberry Cobbler from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Blackberry Ricotta Pizza from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Fresh Blackberry Margarita from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Fresh Blackberry Tarts from Food Lust People Love
• Jamun/Indian Blackberry Chia Jam from Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Blackberry & Rosemary Goat Cheese from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Summer Berries Flaugnarde + Olallie Gin Fizz from Culinary Cam

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Fresh Blackberry Tarts!

 .

Fresas con Crema - Strawberries and Mexican Cream

Fresas con Crema is a simple and delicious dessert made from strawberries and Mexican cream, known as crema, a rich store-bought dairy product prepared with two ingredients, heavy cream and buttermilk.

Crema is often used as a topping for savory dishes like tacos, chimichangas or as one of the fillings in burritos but it is also excellent in sweet dishes, like this one, or as a topping for fruit tarts. It’s quite rich and a little bit tangy but less tart than our sour cream, more like crème fraiche.

In Texas, just about every supermarket carries crema, sometimes even from a selection of producers, including a store brand. I've discovered that some are more tangy, even a bit salty, and some are more mild. I actually did that research looking for/hoping to find a crema that I could substitute for clotted cream. 

Some might have done okay but I was responsible for bringing said clotted cream to a bridal shower and, well, I didn't want to let the side down. After all, if you are putting clotted cream on a scone, it's right out there for everyone to judge. I ended up making my own which is a whole 'nother nightmare I might share with you some day. 

Fresas con Crema - Strawberries and Mexican Cream

If Mexican crema isn’t available in your local store, you can substitute clotted cream. You can also sub in sour cream or crème fraiche and skip or reduce the amount of lime, if desired. This may mean that your cream will need a little longer to “set” but it will still taste delicious. 

Ingredients to serve four

1 cup or 200g Mexican crema

1/2 cup or 120ml heavy cream

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, plus extra for drizzling, if desired

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups or 440g (weight after hulling) chopped fresh strawberries, plus 4 more for garnish, if desired.

Method

Divide the chopped strawberries among 4 serving dishes or ramekins. 

In a small bowl, whisk the crema, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and vanilla.

Top the strawberries with the cream mixture and quickly stir a little to mix it with some of the chopped strawberries. It starts to firm up immediately so do not tarry. 

To garnish with the extra strawberries, you can simple pop one on top each of the bowls, or carefully make slices in the berry, leaving the hull intact, then press gently down to fan the slices out. 

Drizzle the tops with a little more condensed milk, if desired. Serve immediately or keep chilled until ready to serve. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with strawberries! Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. Check out the links below:

• Strawberry Breakfast Pastry from Palatable Pastime
• Strawberry Smoothie from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Triple Berry Greek Yogurt Parfait from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Strawberry Hazelnut Crostini from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Homemade Strawberry Crush from Sneha's Recipe
• Fresas con Crema from Food Lust People Love
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bars from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding from Cook with Renu
• Braising Greens in Strawberry-Honey Vinaigrette from Culinary Cam

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Fresas con Crema! 

 .

Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

This Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream is so easy to make, rich and creamy, tangy and full of flavor. It’s the perfect taste of summer. No churning required! 

I’ve mentioned here before about the delicious. magazine group I belong to, a disparate group of women, brought together on What’s App by one of the delicious. team, who have now become firm friends. 

And like many friends, we lead each other into temptation! Cookbooks are a particular weakness many of us share and when one of our number mentioned that she makes ice cream all the time from a vintage book she owns, we all scurried to find a copy online to order. 

Of course, this then required the creation of yet another What’s App group called Ice Maidens where we share photos of our ice cream. I fully expect that group to ramp up production as the weather heats up! Watch this space if you love no-churn ice cream.

Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

This is mash up of two recipes from the vintage cookbook Ices Galore by Helge Rubinstein and Sheila Bush. If you love easy ice creams, sorbets, etc. that do not need an ice cream maker to create, look for a copy of this book online. It’s a small paperback packed with great frozen treats.

Ingredients

312g or 11 oz rhubarb, trimmed

1 cup or 225g sugar

5 1/2 oz or 156g raspberries

1 cup or 240ml double or whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Optional: 2 tablespoons gin infused with strawberry

Method

Cut the trimmed rhubarb into 1 in or 2 cm pieces.

In a pot with a lid, cook the rhubarb down with the sugar until it is soft, stirring occasionally. Do not add any water. Depending on your rhubarb, this should take about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the lid and set the rhubarb aside to cool. 

Puree the raspberries and push them through a mesh sieve. Discard the seeds.

Add the raspberries to the rhubarb. Stir well. 

Once the rhubarb and raspberry are cool, stir in the strawberry infused gin, if using, 

Whip the cream to soft peaks, sprinkling in the cream of tartar as you go. The cream of tartar helps stabilize the cream.

Gently fold the fruit through the whipped cream. 

Put it in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until it’s beginning to set. 

When the mixture is beginning to set, beat well. 

Transfer to a freezer safe container with a lid and replace in freezer.

 

Freeze till completely set. 

Remove from the freezer shortly before serving. 

Scoop to serve.

Enjoy! 

I'm a little late joining the group but this is the10th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter I. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the I recipes below:

• Sneha’s Recipe: Instant White Dhokla
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Iceberg Wedge Salad
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Instant Pot Bean and Smoked Pork Soup
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Italian Beef Sandwiches
• Culinary Cam: I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Saffron-Cardamom Ice Cream
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Italian Pane di Genzano
• Magical Ingredients: Instant Aloo Paratha
• Palatable Pastime: Indonesian Bami Goreng
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Orange & Feta Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
• Blogghetti: Strawberry Hibiscus Iced Tea Recipe

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far: 

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs

B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly

C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw

D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing

E: Everything Pizza Tartin

F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

G: Grape Juice Jigglers

H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts

I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream - today's post! 

Pin this Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream! 

.

Banana Pecan Caramel Sauce

Gooey, sweet and sticky, this banana pecan caramel sauce is perfection over ice cream, brownies or baked apples. Or you can just eat it with a spoon. You won’t get any judgment from me. Seriously, it’s that good. 

I am not a big sweet eater but I do have a fondness for caramel. The caramelization of sugar adds a welcome slight bitterness that I find very appealing and I know I’m not alone in that. Some of the most popular candies in the world have caramel as an element. Think Snickers, Milky Way and Twix to name just three.

As a kid, my movie candy of choice was always a big box of Milk Duds and I loved Sugar Daddys which were basically a solid rectangle of caramel on a stick. Those would pull your fillings out if you weren’t careful! Totally worth the risk. 

If you feel the same way as I do about caramel, you are going to love this sauce. 

Banana Pecan Caramel Sauce

This recipe makes a little more than two cups of sauce. Because of the bananas, I recommend you store any leftovers in a refrigerator, which means it will turn solid but spoon-able. Gently rewarm it back to sauce consistency before using. This recipe is adapted from one on Marsha’s Baking Addiction.

Ingredients

1 cup or 240ml water

2 cups or 400g sugar

1/2 cup or 57g chopped pecans

2 medium bananas (about 180g), pureed until smooth

1/2 cup or 120ml heavy cream, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water and sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.

Turn the heat down to medium and allow the mixture to come to a light amber color without stirring. 

Instead, swirl the pan around occasionally to make sure the mixture caramelizes evenly. (This can take a while. Be patient, and don't be tempted to turn up the heat!)

Remove the pan from the heat, and add in the chopped pecans. Stir well.

 Add in the pureed banana. Stir constantly until combined and the bubbling has stopped.

Place back on the heat, and keep stirring until the mixture becomes a deep, rich amber color.

Remove from the heat and gradually pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly until combined. The sauce might sugar up at this point if your cream isn't room temperature but just keep stirring and all will be well, as the sugar melts again and it turns back into a sauce. 

Take the pot off of the stove and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the caramel into a heat-proof jar and allow to cool completely before using. Serve over ice cream or even spread on toast or pancakes. 

Or eat it with a spoon. 

Again, no judgment from me.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and my blogger friends and I are celebrating National Banana Lover’s Day, which is today! How will you celebrate? We’ve got a list of great recipes you might like to try. Check them out below: 

• Banana Chip Cookies with Melted Caramel from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Banana Mousse from Culinary Cam
• Banana Pecan Caramel Sauce from Food Lust People Love
• Banana Zucchini Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Coated Banana from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Banana Bread from Cook with Renu
• Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Pretzel Bites from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Sourdough Banana Appe from Sneha’s Recipe

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Banana Pecan Caramel Sauce!

 .

Passion Fruit Posset

Made with only four main ingredients, there is no simpler or more delicious dessert than a passion fruit posset. It’s tart, sweet and creamy!

Last year around this time, just before my birthday in fact, a package arrived on my porch. When I opened it, I found 10 gorgeous passion fruit. No idea where they came from. 

I posted to social media in the hopes that someone would enlighten me and it turns out they were a birthday gift from my elder daughter, who knows I LOVE PASSION FRUIT. 

I’m not much of a cake lover so for my birthday, I made passion fruit posset just like this, except in one big bowl. I served it with a spoon into smaller bowls once it had set. We all enjoyed it thoroughly and so not too many days later, I made it again and poured it into pretty glasses to chill and serve. 

Since I have some passion fruit pulp in the freezer, I’ve decided to continue birthday tradition and make this again. This year it’s just two of us at home so I’ll probably halve the recipe.

Passion Fruit Posset

If you can’t find fresh passion fruit, check the freezer section in your nearby grocery stores, especially if you have ones that cater to Asian or Latin clientele. They often sell frozen pulp. Whenever I see the fresh ones at a reasonable price, I freeze my own as well. 

Ingredients – to serve four 

5 large passion fruit, halved and pulp scooped out

1/4 cup or 60ml fresh lemon juice

2 1/2 cups or 590ml double cream

1/2 cup or 113g caster sugar

pinch fine sea salt

Method

Strain the seeds out of the passion fruit, extracting as much juice as possible. I find it helpful to vigorously whisk the whole mess which loosens the seeds from the pulp. I got about 1/3 cup or 80ml of juice.

Pour the juice into a measuring vessel then add some seeds back till you reach the 1/2 cup or 120ml mark. Reserve the rest of the seeds for topping. 

Add the lemon juice to the passion fruit juice, stir, then set aside. 

Combine the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan set over a low heat and stir for 2 mins to dissolve the sugar. 

Turn the heat up to medium and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 mins (set a timer) then remove from the heat and immediately stir in the passion fruit and lemon juice mixture. 

Divide evenly between four (8 oz or 240ml) cups or glasses - do this quickly, as the mixture will start to thicken. Since I was using glasses, I put a small teaspoon in each to make sure the heat didn’t break the glass. 

I removed the teaspoons before chilling. 

Leave to cool for 10 mins, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. The posset can be made up to three days ahead and chilled.

Once set, add the reserved passion fruit pulp to the top.

And serve. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes that we make in our families for special occasions like birthdays. Check out all the links below! 

• Eggless Mango Semolina Cake from Sneha's Recipe
• {Harry Potter} Platform 9 3/4 Cake (Chocolate Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting) from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Hawaiian Beef Sticks from Palatable Pastime
• Holy Cow Chocolate Pie from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• The Mann Men's Birthday Treats: Bûche De Noël, Baked Alaska, and Tiramisù from Culinary Cam
• Passion Fruit Posset from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Passion Fruit Posset!

 .