Berry Crazy

A couple of days ago I found myself with a fridge full of all kinds of berries. M. went to the market. The joy of having so much fresh fruit, literally, at hand, sparked a different creative thought - why not try to dress them in a different outfit?

I discovered this easy recipe in Beatrice Peltre's cookbook La Tartine Gourmande. I brought it with me from the States and every now and then I flip through it for inspiration.

This recipe is simple and straightforward; the touch of lemongrass is delightful, while raspberries are almost zesty (she used blackberries). I suggest using the mold of an interesting shape for baking - makes these teacakes that much more adorable!


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Prije nekoliko dana, M. je išao na pijacu, pa smo kao rezultat toga imali pun frižider borovnica, kupina, malina, ribizli... Mi ih volimo jesti svježe, ali s vremena na vrijeme nije loše probati ih u kombinaciji sa nečim drugim.

Ovaj lagani recept otkrila sam u knjizi Beatrice Peltre La Tartine Gourmande, koju sam donijela iz Amerike i koja mi je svako malo izvor inspiracije.

Recept je jednostavan i jasan, s tim da je aroma metvice lijepo iznenađenje, a maline daju osvježavajuću i kiselkastu notu. Pekla sam ih u kalupima za šape, što ih je učinilo interesantnim za serviranje.

Raspberry Teacakes

Ingredients

70 g unsalted butter (plus more for molds)

45 g white flour

60 g almond meal

60 g confectioners' sugar

pinch of sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 vanilla bean

1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten until foamy

raspberries

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Lightly butter any type of mold you prefer (e.g., muffin), set aside.

Melt the butter in a small pot and set aside. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder), and add vanilla seeds and chopped lemongrass. Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour lightly beaten egg whites into it. Gently mix together until smooth. Stir in the melted butter.

Place fresh raspberries in the molds and pour batter over them. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool before unmolding.


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Kolačići sa malinama 

Sastojci 

70 g neslanog maslaca (plus još malo za kalupe)

45 g bijelog brašna

60 g bademovog brašna ili sitno mljevenog badema

60 g šećera u prahu

prstohvat morske soli

1/4 kašičice praška za pecivo

1 vanilin štapić

1 vezica matičnjaka, nasitnjena

2 velika bjelanceta, lagano umućena (do pjene)

maline

Zagrijte pećnicu na 180 C. Lagano premažite kalupe komadićima maslaca.

Otopite maslac i ostavite ga da se hladi na kućnoj temperaturi. U zdjeli pomiješajte suhe sastojke (brašno, šećer, sol, prašak za pecivo), dodajte zrna vanilije i nasitnjen matičnjak (poznat i kao metvica, melisa). Napravite rupu u sredini suhih sastojaka i uspite u nju bjelanca. Lagano miješajte dok smjesa ne postane glatka. Dodajte otopljen puter i sjedinite smjesu.

U svaki kalup stavite 1-2 maline i prelijte ih smjesom. Pecite oko 30 minuta i ohladite prije vađenja iz kalupa.

My berry adventure didn't stop there. I also tried a recipe Layla and I first tested in Chicago - Fany Gerson's yogurt ice pops with berries. Definitely helps beat the scorching weather outside.

Both of these recipes are great for when your berries have been sitting for some time and started to go soft and mushy.

The almost ripe blackberries you see in the photos were taken in a village Lohovo, which is located in the northern Bosnia, right by the Una river. The village and its people were a wonderful discovery to me, and Lohovo itself is known for its great fruit. I look forward to visiting them again next week!

We walked around the village and by the river. The water seemed motionless, humbly reflecting the image of the sky above. A wonderfully kind lady gave me half of her thyme plant (I planted it for myself and it is adjusting nicely in its new home), and I learned how to distinguish between blackberry and raspberry leaves.

It is difficult to think of the time better spent.

Paletas de yogurt con moras

Ingredients

1 lemon

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened Greek-style yogurt

2 tablespoons good quality honey

2 cups fresh blackberries, or the berry of your choice

Rinse the lemon under warm water, then peel it (this recipe uses only the peel, so save the lemon for a different time). Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon peel, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, then refrigerate until chilled.

Place the yogurt and honey in a blender, add the chilled syrup, then blend to combine. Pour a bit of the yogurt mixture into each of the molds, about 3/4 of a mold full. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 40 minutes.

If the blackberries are large, cut them in smaller pieces. Divide them among the molds and pour in the remaining yogurt mixture. To finish the process, use the same method we used here.