Berry Tempting

This year, I haven't been able to resist making savory berry recipes: first strawberry spaghetti, then cherry-stuffed tenderloin and blueberry-glazed ribs. And, in my desire to incorporate blackberries into an entrée, I came up with this recipe for pulled pork sandwiches using a blackberry purée. Not only do the ingredients make this dish perfect for the Summer season, but it won't heat up your kitchen because it's cooked over low heat in a slow cooker. Over the course of eight hours, blackberries, hot sauce, ketchup, vinegar, and garlic meld together to become a sweet and tangy condiment that not only highlights the pork roast's natural flavor, but is less aggressively syrupy than traditional barbecue sauce. If you're interested in the recipe, read more.

I've made a crumble, I've made a cobbler, but I've never made a grunt! So the moment I came across a blackberry grunt recipe, I knew it was a must make. It's a pretty basic concept that involves cooking berries and prepping a dough that's very similar to buttermilk biscuits. Rather than pulling out the baking sheet to cook the biscuits, they go right on top of the syrupy blackberries and straight into the oven. It's said that as it bakes, it begins to make a grunting noise (hence the name), although mine never made a peep. The best part of this delicious dessert is that the biscuit absorbs some of the blackberry flavor, and it comes out golden on the top and a lovely purple shade on the bottom. Make your oven grunt by reading more.

All day yesterday, I couldn't wait to get home after work. I was planning on making a blackberry margarita. I spent some time researching recipes before I left; there's a lot of interesting blackberry margaritas out there, from thyme-infused ones to others that are muddled with mint. After hitting up the market and Bevmo, I arrived home ready for my marg and realized I had no limes!

I couldn't make a margarita without fresh lime juice, so I set out to create a blackberry-lemon cocktail. Gin was my base spirit, although you could substitute vodka. The resulting concoction hit the spot. It was fruity and boozy in the best kind of way. Want to see what I came up with? You know what to do: keep reading!

While I enjoy baking elaborate and complicated desserts, sometimes it's nice to have one that involves nothing more than a couple of bowls and measuring spoons. When I need a super simple dessert that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser, I turn to the fruit crumble. This blackberry recipe is quite possibly the easiest dessert ever. Seriously, it takes about 15 minutes to put together and 20 to bake. If you are hosting a dinner party, make the two elements beforehand and assemble and bake just before serving. The resulting treat is absolutely scrumptious: plump burst-in-your-mouth berries, a thick sweet syrup, and crunchy golden brown topping. Want the recipe I used? Keep reading.

There's been no greater way to celebrate the season's berry bounty than by dedicating each Summer month to a different berry — May for strawberries, June for cherries, July for blueberries, and now August for blackberries, which are currently at their peak.

I'm starting things off with a dessert that treasures blackberries at their freshest. I've got a weakness for whipped English desserts with funny names — and who can resist something called a fool? Don't skimp on the Calvados, as the boozy bitterness of the apple brandy adds a nice counterpoint to the otherwise sweet fruit dessert.
For the recipe — which only has four ingredients! — keep reading.

The first major party I hosted was in the Summer of 2006. It was a welcome back party for my sister, and I was going all out with the menu. This was at the peak of the cupcake craze, and I decided to serve three types of cupcakes. One of the cupcakes I was considering were these blueberry cupcakes. However, they didn't make the cut.

Fast forward four years and I click over to Epicurious and am met by a blast from the past — the blueberry cupcakes! With July and our blueberry month coming to an end, I took it as a sign and made them.

Now I'm telling you: these cupcakes are delicious! They're perfectly balanced, sweet but not overly so, with a hint of lemon adding a delightful tartness. The frosting is a rich maple buttercream that pairs well with the fluffy moist cake. If you need a special dessert, consider these cupcakes. Here's the recipe.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: blueberry sauce has been the most versatile kitchen basic of the season. I've loved canning the stuff and using it for everything from cocktails to French toast kebabs.

Most recently, it added natural sweetness to baby back ribs. Don't fear the combination of ingredients like hot sauce, blueberries, and garlic powder; they marry together beautifully to coat the the pork in a sticky, fruity, finger-licking glaze.
Curious about the recipe? Get it when you read more.

With nothing but blueberries on the brain this month, it's only natural that I've been playing with the little guys in my drinks, too. And this weekend, I think I found the best blueberry cocktail to date. Meet the Blueberries Gone Wild.

Despite its muddled preparation, and its Joe Francis-ish moniker, this cocktail is pure and clean. With a blush color and juicy flavor, it's a more herbaceous cosmo, only made with farm-fresh ingredients and a hint of juniper-scented gin. Like the sound of it? Then get the recipe now.

Last Summer, when the August issue of Gourmet arrived at my desk, I knew immediately that I would be making the cover recipe. There are just some recipes that are so me, and what with my love of ice cream sandwiches, it was only a matter of time before I tackled these babies. With their tart ice cream and sweet berry filling and thin, chewy blondie-like outside, these sandwiches are amazing. They're super fun to eat and the perfect dessert for a crowd. The best thing is that they're indulgent without being too rich and they strike a nice balance between creamy and fruity. I highly recommend you make them, so here's the recipe.