Raspberries are merry-making foods, I adore them and only have happy memories of plucking the little bobbly fruits from the bush in my nan’s garden as a child. I don’t usually do anything other than dollop some fresh cream on mine or eat them one by one off the tops of my fingers like a Hula Hoop crisp, so I was very excited to see so many suggestions for my favourite fruit.
The winning recipe: Cranachan ice-cream
Colonial Craving’s recipe has everything going for it. I had to make the crunchy oats twice as I scoffed half the first lot right out of the oven. I then licked the whiskey bowl clean and practically drank the raspberry puree. Combined and frozen, these three parts become a luxurious, creamy, boozy raspberry mess. I am smitten.
Serves 6
3 tbsp honey
1 ½ tbsp light flavoured oil
A pinch of salt
100g oats
150g raspberries (frozen is fine)
2 tbsp icing sugar
600ml double cream
350g condensed milk
50ml whisky
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Put the honey, oil and a pinch of salt into a small pan and heat gently until melted and combined. Tip in the oats and stir to coat in the honey mix.
2 Transfer the oats to a baking tray – spread roughly into a single layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently until the oats are golden brown and clumping together in parts. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3 To make the ripple, push the raspberries through a fine sieve to collect their pink juices, discarding the seeds. Stir the icing sugar into the juice and set aside.
4 Whip the cream to floppy peaks, pour in the condensed milk and whisky, then beat again until the mixture holds soft peaks. Fold in the crunchy oats, transfer to a freezer-proof container and ripple through the raspberry sauce. Freeze for at least 3 hours, or until frozen solid. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving.
Elderflower, raspberry and prosecco jelly
Prosecco jelly is my kind of jelly. Sharp, sweet and floral – Galina Varese is quite right – it’s the perfect host for sweet, ripe raspberries.
Makes 6 small or one large jelly
250ml elderflower cordial
1 sachet of powdered gelatin
320ml prosecco
75g raspberries
1 edible rose, petals removed
1 Heat the cordial over a medium heat until just below boiling point. Remove from the heat, add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Transfer to a pouring jug.
2 Gradually add the prosecco to the jug and stir well. Drop 3-4 raspberries and rose petals (if using) into each of your serving glasses. Pour the prosecco mix on top. Chill for 2 hours, or until set.
Middle-Eastern tiramisu
The riper your raspberries the better this dessert from Shelley McAlister will be. You want them juicy and squashed amongst the creamy mascarpone. More trifle than traditional tiramisu, but whatever you call it, it’s delicious.
Serves 6
1 large pomegranate, halved
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp sumac
85ml raspberry liquor or sweet sherry
36 sponge fingers
250g mascarpone
200ml creme fraiche
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp rosewater
150g raspberries
200ml whipping cream
1 Use the back of a wooden spoon to bash out the seeds of the pomegranate. Set aside ⅔ of the seeds. Add the molasses and sumac to the remaining ⅓, then crush them with the back of a fork to release the pomegranate juice. Stir in your chosen booze.
2 Line a small baking dish with half the sponge fingers, drizzle over half the liquid and allow it to soak in.
3 Meanwhile, mix the mascarpone, creme fraiche, sugar and rosewater until smooth. Spread half of this mix over the sponge fingers and top with half the reserved pomegranate seeds and half the raspberries, pressing them into the mascarpone mix as you go.
4 Lay the remaining sponge fingers over the fruit, pour over the remaining liquid and spread with the remaining mascarpone. Lightly whip the cream to soft peaks then dollop generously over the top of your tiramisu, dot over the remaining fruit and leave to chill until you are ready to serve.
Raspberry ripple baked yoghurt
Catherine Tennant’s mix is so delicious it almost didn’t make it into the oven. The raspberries are the perfect foil for the sweet, creamy, custard-like yoghurt mixture.
Makes 6
150g raspberries
1 tsp sugar
200g Greek yoghurt
200g condensed milk
200g double cream
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Zest of ½ lemon
A pinch of salt
1 Set the oven to 140C/275F/gas mark 1. Pulse the raspberries with the sugar in a food processor until you get a rough puree. Set aside.
2 Combine the yoghurt, condensed milk, cream, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and a pinch of salt until smooth.
3 Put 6 ramekins (about 250ml each) in to a high-sided baking tray. Pour the yoghurt mixture evenly into the ramekins then ripple the raspberry puree through each. Pour boiling water into the baking tray so it comes up about ⅔ the height of the ramekin – be careful not to get water in your puds.
4 Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Allow to cool then chill for at least two hours before serving.
Butternut squash, feta and raspberry salad
I am a huge fan of fruit in my savouries. I love pineapple on my pizza and mango in my curry and now – thanks to Suzanne Anderegg – I love raspberry in my salad. The sweet, juicy little berries work perfectly with the salty cheese and fresh minty dressing. No fancy ingredients but a very sophisticated looking and tasting salad.
Serves 4
1 butternut squash, halved and cut into wedges, seeds reserved
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Black pepper
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
100g baby broad beans
50g spinach or rocket leaves
200g mixed salad leaves
200g feta cheese, crumbled
200g raspberries
For the dressing
Zest and juice 2 lemons
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A handful of fresh mint leaves, shredded
1 Set the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Put the butternut squash on to a large baking sheet, drizzle with oil and season with black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir the squash and add the pumpkin seeds and the reserved squash seeds. Cook for a further 8-10 minutes, or until the squash is golden and tender and the seeds toasted. Remove from the oven.
2 Meanwhile, cook the broad beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 3 minutes, drain and run under cold water to cool. Drain again, set aside.
3 To make the dressing whisk the lemon, oil and mint together until combined.
4 To assemble the salad, lay the spinach and mixed leaves on a serving plate, scatter the squash and seeds on top followed by the feta and raspberries. Pour over the dressing and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Raspberry filo cigars
Crisp on the outside, gooey, sweet and sour on the inside, Rachel Kelly’s raspberry filo cigars taste rather fancy, but are actually pretty simple to rustle up. These would be great served with the baked raspberry ripple yoghurt pots.
Makes 12
200g raspberries
150g feta, crumbled
60g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp caster sugar
Zest ½ orange
12 sheets filo pastry
100g butter, melted
Icing sugar, for dusting
1 Put the raspberries, feta, chocolate, sugar and orange zest into a bowl and mash lightly with a fork to combine. Set aside.
2 Cut the filo sheets in half lengthways, so you have sheets that measure roughly 12cm x 30cm. Cover with a clean, damp cloth.
3 Take one sheet of filo, brush with melted butter and lay another sheet directly on top. Put a heaped tablespoon of raspberry mixture along the short side of the filo, leaving a 1cm border. Roll away from you to enclose the filling, then fold the long edges in by 1cm. This will help keep the filling enclosed. Continue rolling away from yourself until you have a cigar shape. Brush with more butter and transfer to a well-greased baking tray. Carry on until you have used up all of the filling and pastry. Chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
4 Bake the raspberry cigars for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar.
Chock berry toastie
LeftoverLiz is a girl after my own heart: if you can make a sandwich out of anything then so much the better. And honestly, why have I never thought of this combination? Molten chocolate, hot raspberries and soft fruity bread with a crisp outside? This will work at any time of day or night.
Makes 1
1 large fruit teacake, split in half
50g raspberries
1-2 tbsp chocolate spread
A knob of butter (if you don’t have a sandwich toaster or panini press)
1 Heat up your sandwich toaster or panini press, or put a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat.
2 Spread one half of the teacake with chocolate spread. Dot the other half with raspberries, gently squashing them into the bread. Sandwich the two halves together.
3 Put the toastie in the machine or panini press until crispy on the outside and molten on the inside. Alternatively, drop the butter into the pan. When it sizzles add the teacake, weigh it down with a saucer or the bottom of a clean pan, and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Flip over and cook for a further minute, or until the teacake is crisp and the inside is molten. Serve immediately with cream or ice-cream.
- Rosie Reynolds is a food writer and food stylist. Her book, The Kitchen Shelf (Phaidon) is out now; @rrfoodstyle
