How to Make a Raspberry Buckle

I was visiting some family this week and my aunt and I went to pick some raspberries.  I ended up with 2 pints to take home with me.  This weekend she's having a fundraiser for Huntington's Disease and it's a pot luck so I thought it would be great if I could find something to make with the raspberries we picked.  In my searching I found a recipe for a raspberry buckle (thanks Martha Stewart!).  I'd never even heard of a buckle before so I thought I'd give it a try!

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 3/4 cups raspberries
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
• Whipped cream, (optional)

 Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 2-quart oval or square baking dish. 

2.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.

3.  Beat in one egg at a time.

4.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.  With your mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.

5.  Spread batter in baking dish. Sprinkle raspberries on top.

6.  Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

7.  Let it cool for 20 minutes, and dust with icing sugar.  Scoop out with buck with a large spoon and serve with whipped cream! 

You can substitute raspberries for blueberries, and I would image any other type of berry if you'd like.  I haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know after the weekend!

Hair Wraps!

My cousins went away for a vacation in Mexico and when they were down there Lisa wanted to get a hair wrap done.  Turns out they were charging $10 for a braid with a silver string wrapped around it and some beads tied on the end.  When they got home Lisa asked asked me if I could do one.  It's been a long time since the last time I did it but I thought it would be fun to give it a go and it gave me something else to post on my blog!

Things you need:

Embroidery floss (at least 2 different colours and up to as many as you'd like)

scissors

tiny elastic for hair

big hair elastic

beads, bells or charms if you want

Step 1:  After choosing your colours, cut each piece at least twice as along as the hair you're wrapping.  It's better to have too much than not enough string! 

Step 2:  Section out some hair where ever you'd like the hair wrap and make a small braid and use you tiny elastic for the end of it and with the rest of the hair tie it back with a big elastic.  It's easier if the rest of the hair is pulled back so it doesn't get in the way of the wrap.  

Step 3:  Find the middle of each piece of string then tie a knot around the top of the braid.

Step 4:  Start wrapping!  All you have to do is pick which every colour you like (and it doesn't matter which piece of string you use) and wrap it around the hair and the other string that is not being used.  Just pretend that the unused string is a part of the braid.  Keep the string tight and wrap the rows close together so no hair shows through.  When you want to change colours, just pick the next colour you want, just hold the piece of string you were using between your thumb and forefinger and start wrapping with the next colour over top of the colour you just used. 

Step 5:  For designs or patterns, you can do a lot with just wrapping the string.  You can make each colour a certain length and do patterns that way.  Or alternate colours after wrapping each piece of string once around the hair (this will make it look like each row is a different colour).  If you want something a little more complicated, and you can also make Xs around the solid colours you have.  To do this all you need to do is chose a colour to be the solid and a colour for the Xs.  Before you start wrapping your solid colour keep out both strings of the colour you want to make your X.  Wrap the solid colour around the rest of the hair and string.  When you're solid colour is as long as you want it, get someone else to hold the end for you (I just had Lisa hold it for me when I did it) and then take both strings of the colour for the Xs and wrap them around the solid colour.  

Then just pick the next colour you want to start wrapping with and wrap as per normal. 

Step 6:  To finish your hair wrap, keep wrapping until you've covered the end of the hair and all you're left wrapping is the unused string.  If you want beads, string a couple of beads on at the end of the wrap then just tie it off at the end.  You can also use beads throughout the hair wrap if you like, Lisa didn't want any beads in hers because it makes it hard to sleep and brush her hair, so just keep that in mind.  

And that's what it looked like in the end.  They will stay in for a pretty long time!  

TIP:  If you underestimated how long you needed for your string and you don't have enough to finish the wrap, just get some more and tie one piece of string at a time part way down the braid.  If you tie one piece at a time instead of making a big knot like you did at the top of the braid then it will make it easier to cover.  

So I guess if you want a hair wrap you're better off getting one at home than you are in Mexico!

Beach day and Sunburns

Yesterday I went to the beach with my friend, AaRon, his sisters and a friend of his.  We went to the beach on Toronto island.  It's a nude beach there, and no, I didn't go nude.  AaRon has a cool app on his phone and takes some really great photos, here's a couple...

Me and my beach bag, a Christmas prezzie from my mother-in-law

Me on the beach in my new bikini

After I got home I had a cool shower and then applied some spray on after sun.  I started to look up on line home remedies for sun burns.  Last night I tried soaking paper towel in vinegar and applying it to the worst part of my burns... it actually worked quite well.  There were a few others, grating potato and applying that the affected area, cooling a cup of peppermint tea and applying that to the burns, and using baking soda.  I will have to give some of the other remedies a try. 

More Jam!

I thought that since I already had a post about jam I'd share 2 of the other recipes I made with you.  

Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam

Ingredients: 

7 3/4 cups of crushed strawberries, hulled
1 pkg light fruit pectin or certo crystals
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper (don't be afraid to add a bit more if you want a little more peppery)

Cooking instructions are pretty much the same as the raspberry jam, just add the vinegar and pepper once you've removed the berries from the heat and skimmed.  

Like I said, this is great with goat cheese and crackers and can be used as a marinade for meat as well.  

Raspberry Mango Jam

Ingredients:

3 cups finely chopped pitted peeled mangoes (about 5 to 6 mangos)

2 1/4 cups crushed red raspberries

2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice

1 pkg of light certo

2 3/4 cups granulated sugar

I cut up the mango and put it in a blender then add the crushed berries.  Once again, just follow the instructions for the raspberry jam from there.  

I actually took this recipe from a website and it actually called for regular pectin or certo.  I made a few adjustments to it so I could use the light certo.  My first batch didn't turn out the best, it was a bit too firm, but was still very spreadable and tasted good.  My second time I added a little more fruit and a little less sugar and it has turned out better.  I haven't actually opened a jar yet to see how it set, but I can tell just by looking it set better.  

TIP:  For those of you who may not know, here's a simple way to cut a mango:

 

Mangos tend to have an oval shape, so cut about half an inch from the center length wise on both sides.  You should be left with 2 halves and one flat pit.  With the halves, just score a check pattern into the mango (just be careful not to cut through the sink) and turn the skin inside out.  It's a pretty easy way to get the good stuff out!  With the pit I usually sink it then cut what I can from the pit, or just eat around it.  

I don't know that I will make raspberry mango jam next year.  Although it was good, and I'm glad I did it, it was quite a bit of work. 

How to Make Raspberry Jam

Ian and I went to a local farm today and picked up a flat of raspberries so I could make some jam.  I've made a few batches but raspberry is mine and Ian's favorite.  

A few things to pick up that will make your life easier:

Funnel

Pair of jar tongs (for picking up the hot jar)

Magnetic lid wand (for picking up the hot lids out of the pot)

Ingredients:

6 cups of crushed raspberries (you can use frozen if you like, just thaw them first)

4 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

1 box of Certo Light Pectin Crystals

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.  Wash your jam jars with hot soapy water, rinse them and then I put them into a cake pan and put them in the oven.  To sterilize the jars make sure they're in the over for at least 10 mins., I just keep them in until I'm ready to fill them.

2.  Crush berries one layer at a time with a potato masher.  To make clean up easier I line a cookie tray with tin foil and crush the berries on that.   If you aren't a fan of lots of seeds or pulp you can you a sieve to remove some.  I just kept all the pulp and seed!

 3.  In a large pot stir together crushed raspberries with the Certo and 1/4 cup of the measured sugar.

4.  Bring to a boil over high heat.

5.  Add the rest of the sugar and return to a hard boil for 1 min.  Bringing it to a hard boil seems to take a while.  I'm always a bit afraid of burning the fruit on the bottom so usually put the burner on high until it starts to bubble a bit then stir and do the same until eventually it turns into a hard boil.  You can usually tell it's been cooked enough if it gets foamy.

 

6.  Remove the pot from the heat and stir and skim the foam of the top of the berries.  The foam isn't bad, it just doesn't look as "pretty" and when it solidifies a bit there's air in it so it's not really like jam.  I skimmed the top but saved the foam and used it as a desert topping on ice cream!

 

7.  Use a ladle and pour the hot jam into sterilized jars about 1/4 inch from the rim.  Cover with the warm lid and screw the rings on tight.  With the jar tongs, put the jars into a large pot of boiling water (make sure the water covers the top of the jars by at least an inch) and let them sit in that for at least 5 minutes.  Then remove the jars from the pot and I place them on a clean towel on the counter.  When the jars begin to cool you'll hear the popping noise of the lids sealing.   

 

Lessons Learned:  

The one utensil I would buy if I were to only choose one, is the jar tongs.  I make my first batch without and it was very difficult to get the jars out of boiling water with out them!  Also the funnel I got is one that kind of folds in on itself to make it a long or short funnel.  I would highly recommend one of these versus a standard funnel, it's great for storage and it works well for both tall and short jars. 

This is actually from the batch of raspberry mango jam I made

The other thing, if you're going to go to the trouble of making your own jam, buy local.  I did it because I wanted to support local farms, and I thought they would taste better.  The local berries really do taste better!  It may cost a bit more, but totally worth it!

This batch turned out pretty good.  So far I've made strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, strawberry balsamic black pepper (great with goat cheese!), and raspberry mango jam.  I've only ever made jam using certo light because it uses less sugar than the original.  I want to make a jelly at some point with no sugar because we have a couple of diabetics in the family but that will be another day. 

How to Make Raspberry Pie

It's July and it's berry season!  I was in the grocery store and there was a really great deal on raspberries.  After buying a flat I decided to try making a pie.  This was my first time making a pie on my own.  The last time I did this I think I was about 8 and my grandmother was helping me!  I found a recipe on line that sounded good and here's how it went: 

First thing is first, ingredients!

Pastry (please note this will make 3 9in double crusted pies):

6 cups of cake & pastry flour 

OR

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1lb shortening

1 tbsp vinegar

1 egg lightly beaten

cold water

Filling:

2 1/2 cups raspberries

1/2 packed brown sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp

1 egg white

Directions

Pastry:

1.  Mix together flour and salt.

2.  Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or 2 knives or stand mixer until the mixture looks like coarse oat   meal.

3.  In a 1 cup measure, combine vinegar and egg then add enough water to make up just shy of the cup.  Gradually stir liquid into mixture, just enough to  make the dough cling together.  

4.  Gather into a ball and divide into 6 portions.  Keep 2 portions for immediate use or wrap them and chill in fridge.  Wrap and put unused portions in the freezer.  

Pie:

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). 

2.  Take out 2 portions of dough from fridge and let them warm up to room temperature (it usually takes a couple of hours).  Roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface. 

3.  Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry.  To do this, drape the pastry over the rolling pin, lift and center over the pie plate.  If you have any cracks in the pastry just use water as a glue and over lap 2 wet pieces of pastry and press together.  Cut any excess pastry off the edges.  You can also use this excess pastry to patch any holes you might have in the bottom crust.  

4.  Brush the inside of the pie shell with the egg white and fill the pie with washed raspberries (you can use frozen or fresh, just let the frozen ones thaw first.) 

5.  Combine sugar and cornstarch and sprinkle mixture over berries.  

TIP:  Depending on the sweetness of the berries you may need more or less sugar.  I would suggest try the recipe first then decide if you would like it sweeter or not, depends on how sweet you like things too. 

6.  Dot the pie with butter then cover with upper crust.  I chose to cut a heart in the middle of my top crust, but you can do what every you like, as long as you at least cut some slits in the top to let steam escape.  Then seal the edges.  To seal the edges, use your finger and wet it then run it between the upper and lower crust.  Then use your thumbs and press indents in the edges of the crust and voila! 

7.  Brush egg white over the top of the pie and I sprinkled some demerara sugar or brown sugar on top if you like.  Bake for 10 mins then turn the oven down to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C), then continue baking for 30 mins.  Let cool and enjoy with ice cream or freeze for another day!

TIP:  Every oven is different and the edges of the pie may get burnt.  To avoid this just cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil part way through baking.   

I ended up freezing my pie for a future gathering of family and/or friends.  I think for my first pie it turned out well.  I have to admit that I forgot to add the tbsp of butter to my pie, so next time I won't forget that step.  I will also make sure that my dough has had lots of time to get to room temp.  I didn't do that with this recipe and it was really hard to work with to make my crusts.  And with my left over dough I just rolled it out and used it to line muffin cups in a muffin tin to make little raspberry tarts.  This was something else I could remember doing with my grandma.