Warm Raspberries

Being in the midst of berry season is a great place to be. Prices at the stores are reasonable, the blackberries in the lower field and by the apple tree are prolific this year due to all the spring rains, and Costco recently had 6 half pints of beautiful ripe red raspberries for a very low amount of dough so I have had more than enough raspberries to have fun with than ever!

I enjoy most berries both fresh and cooked but I have preferences, too. Strawberries taste best to me when they are fresh and untouched, although I enjoy them chilled, too. Blackberries are great either cooked or uncooked, especially combined with other fruits. Blueberries seem to expand their flavor when warmed…think blueberry muffin and you’ll know what I mean. And then there are warm raspberries, Mmmmmm!

Raspberries are most enjoyable (to my way of thinking) cooked. The heat releases that wonderful fragrance and intensifies their sweet, unforgettable flavor.

To celebrate my windfall of raspberries I got my warm raspberry fix. Just after July 4th weekend I baked some in a delightful fresh coffee cake with a crunchy streusel topping. The unbeatable Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: from my home to yours has a great recipe for Blueberry Crumb Cake and the same recipe can be played with using…tada!...raspberries…and fresh peach chunks for that Melba flavor combo.

I used orange zest to rub with the sugar and put some of the crumb topping inside the cake as well as on top, but otherwise it is as written in the book. If you haven't bought this wonderful book, or gotten it out of the library, this might be the time.

What you get is a rich buttermilk cake, lightly touched with orange. The raspberries and ripe and juicy peeled peach chunks are folded into the cake batter so every bite has some fruit and some of the nutty, crunchy sweet topping.

Served warm from the oven, this cake fulfils every warm raspberry desire…for now.