Photo: Kowalski’s Markets
Blackberries are a great source of fiber and vitamins C and K, but mostly they’re just delicious. They’re also easy to incorporate into all types of dishes and recipes. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Salads: Blackberries are great in a spinach or arugula salad with poppy seed or balsamic dressing, topped with toasted nuts and tangy soft cheese.
- Smoothies: They blend well with other berries, vanilla, citrus and all stone fruits, especially apricots and peaches.
- Desserts: The options are endless, from cobblers and crumbles to cakes and pies.
- Toppings: Blackberries are a great topper for oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream, toast, cheesecake, angel food, pound cakes and meringues.
- Pairings: As a snack, blackberries are wonderful with strong, somewhat tart, creamy cheeses like blue, goat and brie. They’re also nice with hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and almonds.
Did you know? The little hairs on blackberries help prevent damage to the fruits. They’re called styles.
Tasty Tips:
- Store blackberries in the fridge, but eat them when they are room temperature for maximum flavor.
- Keep them dry, and rinse them just before eating—moisture is a berry’s arch enemy and will promote faster deterioration.
Blackberry Crumble Pie
Serves 8
- 6 cups blackberries
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ⅔ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 6 Tbsp. butter, cold, cut into approximately 24 cubes
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
In a large bowl, combine berries, white sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice, tossing to combine; set mixture aside for 15 minutes. Adjust oven rack to lowest position; place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, toss oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt together. Using your fingertips, blend butter into dry ingredients until course lumps form. Set aside. Line a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with crust; flute edges as desired and fill with fruit mixture and top with crumble. Place pie on the preheated baking sheet; bake until crumble is a dark golden-brown (40–45 minutes), covering the edges of the crust with strips of foil to prevent overbrowning in the last 10–15 minutes if needed. Transfer pie to a wire rack; cool for 2 hours before serving.
Blackberry Jam Cake
- 3 ½ cups fresh or frozen blackberries (about 20 oz. fresh berries)
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- 1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 jar Kowalski’s black raspberry jam
- 1 cup canola oil
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 containers Kowalski’s signature classic buttercream
- 6 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled
In a medium pot over medium heat, cook and mash berries until softened and fairly chunky (3–5 minutes). Stir in ½ cup sugar and lemon juice. Increase heat slightly; bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and thinly coats the back of a metal spoon without dripping off (5–10 minutes). Stir in black raspberry jam until melted in. Cool jam mixture completely in the pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease bottom only of a nonstick 9×13-inch pan. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, combine oil, eggs, sour cream, remaining sugar, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla; beat 2 minutes on low. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; mix until well combined, scraping the bowl part way through mixing. Add milk slowly, a bit at a time, beating batter until it is completely homogenous. Beat batter on high speed 30 seconds.
Transfer batter to prepared pan; spread evenly. Dollop 8–10 Tbsp. (about ¾ cup) of jam evenly over the batter; use a knife to barely swirl the jam into the batter, leaving large noticeable swirls and streaks. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (30–35 minutes). Cool cake completely to room temperature. Spread a thin layer of jam over the cake. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the buttercream with remaining vanilla until mixture is very soft and spreadable. Add white chocolate; whip until very fluffy and light. Spread frosting evenly over the cake; dollop bits of jam over the icing and swirl gently.
Rachael Perron is the culinary and branding director for Kowalski’s Markets, where she specializes in product development and selection, culinary education and communications. Find more recipes at kowalskis.com.
