berries Archives - Fresh From Oregon

Mixed Berry Bread Pudding

July 26, 2015 · by Carrie Trax ·

Here is a good bread pudding to making in the summer months when the berries are ripe and juicy. You can make this bread pudding with just one type of berry or as many as you like. The egg custard layered with these juicy berries will melt in your mouth. I baked in 6 medium size ramekins but you can also bake in a 13×9 baking dish or 2 bread loaf pans. Serve it in the morning, afternoon or evening for a sweet taste of summer.

Mixed Berry Bread Pudding
9-12 slices soft French or egg bread, cubed 1-inch pieces (6 cups)
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups fresh mixed berries (blueberries, marionberries, red raspberries, blackberries), divided
Mixed berry sauce, recipe below (optional)

In large bowl place cubed bread, set aside. In medium bowl beat eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla. Pour milk mixture over bread cubes and let set for 30 minutes. Grease 6 medium ramekin baking dishes. Place about 1/2 cup of the cubes of bread in each greased ramekin, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the mixed berries, add another 1/2 cup bread cubes, sprinkle top with 1/4 cup of mixed berries. There should be a small amount of egg mixture left in the bowl, evenly divide among the six ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and add about 2 cups of water to the baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown and knife inserted comes out clean. Remove and cool for about 10 minutes if you would like to serve warm. Once cooled completely you can refrigerate to serve later or the next day.

When you are ready to serve run a knife around the outer edge of the bread pudding and flip over to remove the bread pudding. Top with remaining 1 cup of fresh berries or mixed berry sauce below. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Fresh Mixed Berry Sauce
4 cups mixed berries
½ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water

Combine sauce ingredients in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or cold over the bread pudding.

Fresh Oregon Berry Tart

June 14, 2015 · by Carrie Trax ·

Fresh berries in all shapes and colors are now ready in Oregon. The fruit stands are overflowing with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries red raspberries and tayberrries. You will always find a pint or two of berries in my refrigerator ready to create a sweet dessert or muffin or just to top off my Sunday morning pancakes or serve with some yogurt. The sugar cookie crust in this tart is sweet and crisp and much firmer that a traditional pie dough crust making it last a few extra days in the refrigerator without getting soggy. The sweet taste of the lemon filling with the sauce from the tayberries and the mountain of berries creates layers of flavor from top to bottom.

What is a Tayberry? Its a cross between a blackberry and red raspberry and the fruit is sweeter than a blackberry and much larger than a red raspberry. The name comes from the river Tay in Scotland.

Fresh Oregon Berry Tart

Sugar cookie crust:
8 Tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Lemon filling:
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
¼ cup whipping cream

juice from 1 large lemon
¼ cup granulated sugar

Topping:
2 cups Tayberries or Red Raspberries, slightly mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water
2-3 cups mixed berries, washed

To make the sugar cookie crust, place the butter and sugar in a standing mixer and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on high. Add the egg and mix on medium until fully incorporated. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt all at once and mix on medium just until no spots of flour remain, about 20 seconds, do not over mix. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray fluted 9 1/2″ removable bottom tart pan with cooking spray.

While the oven is preheating, make the lemon filling by whisking together the eggs, egg yolks, whipping cream, lemon juice, and granulated sugar until smooth. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Press dough it into the tart pan evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Pour the lemon filling into the crust. Bake until the filling is set and the crust begins to turn golden, 20-25 minutes. Do not over bake – pull the tart out just when you see any golden color on the crusts. Make sure the lemon filling is cooked by inserting a toothpick in the center and checking to see if it comes out clean. Allow the shell and filling to cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To prepare the topping add tayberries or red raspberries and sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in another small bowl combine cornstarch and cold water; whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to raspberries and whisk to combine. Bring to boil and continue boiling 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce is as thick as you like. Set aside to cool. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

To assemble spread raspberry sauce over the lemon filling and place mixed berries on tart and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve chilled.

Fresh Blackberry Apple Jelly

July 19, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

If the word homemade jelly makes you think wow that’s a lot of work and looks so hard to do I am here to change your mind. I have been making my own jam for 30 years and I always thought jelly was a lot of work until I decided I was going to give it a try last year. At first I went to the store and bought a jelly strainer with the washable cheesecloth and started to make my first batch. It was easy to take the fruit, add some water and let it cook down for about 5 minutes. So with my cheesecloth lined strainer I added my fruit and juices only to discover the store bought metal strainer was not as sturdy as I thought and the cheesecloth did not hold all my cooked down fruit. I did eventually get all the juice into a bowl and made my first jelly but I needed a better way to strain my juice from the fruit. One Saturday morning my husband and I went to an estate sale and there in front of my eyes was a vintage jelly strainer. For $5 I could not pass it up and had to give it a try. After making my first batch of jelly in this vintage jelly strainer I was hooked. I have found 2 more since at estate sales and sometimes I have 3 different batches of jelly going at one time. With blackberries Fresh From Oregon this week it was time for me to make a batch of blackberry apply jelly. So if you have been thinking about making homemade jelly just hit a few estate sales and come home with your own vintage strainer and get started.

Fresh Blackberry Apple Jelly
3 pounds blackberries (2 1/2 quarts)
1 1/4 cup water
8 medium apples
Bottled apple juice (maybe)
1/4 cup lemon juice
8 cups sugar
2 pouches (3oz each) liquid fruit pectin

In large sauce pan, bring blackberries and 1 1/4 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Line a stainer with a double layer of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Place berry mixture in strainer and let stand for 30 minutes or until you think all the juice has strained out. Reserve the juice and discard the pulp.

Remove and discard the stem and blossom ends of the apples (do not peel or core), cut into small pieces. Place in large saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Place apples in cheesecloth lined strainer and leave for 30 minutes. Reserve juice and discard pulp.

Measure the reserved blackberry and apple juice to 4 cups each. If necessary, add bottled apple juice to get to the 4 cups. Stir in lemon juice and sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the two packets of liquid pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle into hot jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jar and adjust the two-piece cap. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove jars from canner and set on a towel to cool.

Source ~ Taste of Home Canning & Preserving magazine

Mixed Berry Bread Pudding

Fresh Blackberry Apple Jelly

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