I really do wait all year for summer fruit. There’s almost nothing like the sweet, bright flavors of fresh summer fruit when it’s right at its peak. There’s such a contrast between the flat, almost flavor-less berries you get in the store during the fall and winter.
This recipe is beautiful in its simplicity. The soft, mellow cream highlights the perfect summer sweetness of the berries. The two flavors meld together perfectly, whether the berries are fresh or macerated.
My spring and summer produce guides have some pointers for looking for the best berries.
Berries and Cream: The First Way
All you need for this first method is fresh summer berries and whipped cream. This is less of a recipe and more of guide—you can take my basic ideas and to do whatever you like and use whatever quantities you prefer. You can sweeten the whipped cream or not, you can put cinnamon on top or not, you can add a touch of vanilla or even almond extract (or not).
You can also use cream as-is (poured out of the carton) or whip it up.
Berries and Cream: The Second Way
The second way to make berries and cream is to macerate your berries.
What is macerating?
Macerating is sprinkling of sugar in the form of liquid, syrup, or granulated sugar over berries and then letting the mixture sit.
The sugar draws out the liquid from the berries and the berries begin to break down. The flavors mellow and combine and what’s left is a beautiful mix of softened berries and sweet, slightly tart syrup that I can eat by itself and be perfectly happy.
Sweeteners can include liquors, honey, and maple syrup:You can also add cinnamon, vanilla, or almond extract. I used honey in the berries pictured because I’d forgotten I’d used all of the sugar making nectar for the humming bird feeder, and it tasted fantastic!
Other Serving Ideas
Yes, this blog is about berries and cream, but there are so many other ways to use fresh and macerated berries (and even cream):
- Over ice cream
- Over oatmeal or muesli
- In a smoothie or milkshake
- Over angle food or pound cake (the cake can even be grilled)
Any way you put it, berries and cream is a simple, delicious, and incredibly easy dessert that doesn’t require heat and can be prepared in a decently short amount of time.
[kitchenbug-your-recipe-appears-here-24059]
‘Till next time!