Berry Bonds

Berries are one of my favorite end-of-the-season ingredients. Growing up, it was always around this time of year that my mother would make us cobbler using fresh picked blackberries from our driveway. I've never even tried to make her recipe myself; it just wouldn't be the same. Nonetheless, I have found a few ways of putting these late summer fruits to good use. I think we've all seen a classic creme brulee topped with fresh seasonal berries, but this recipe takes it to the next level by adding some gently cooked local Tra Zee peaches to the bottom of the ramekin before pouring in the custard. The Tra Zee is a late season peach with an excellet color and delicious flavor; perfect to pair with blackberries and raspberries, which can often still be found this late in the season. In this case, we used golden instead of red raspberries (they looked so good at the market, we just couldn't walk past them), but feel free to use whatever is available and fresh in your area.

Late Season Creme Brulee

• 4 large egg yolks
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups heavy cream
• brown sugar for caramelizing (If available use "Sugar in the Raw")
• 1 pint fresh local berries

Cook peaches over medium heat in several tablespoons of liquid until soft (we used water for this, but white wine or orange juice would be a great way to incorporate another layer of flavor. If your peaches are especially ripe then this step may be omitted). Spoon peaches into each of four ramekins. Return pan to heat and add cream. In a separate pan combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Once cream begins to simmer pour into egg mixture and bring up to medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 12 minutes. Once mixture has thickened divide between ramekins and place in referigerator to cool (1-2 hours). At this point the custard should be firm to the touch. Set oven to broil and sprinkle custard-filled ramekins with brown sugar. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until sugar has completely melted and caramelized. Remove from heat, alow caramel to harden, top with fresh berries and serve.

Homemade Blackberry Liqueur

On the other hand if you grow your own fruit and find yourself wondering what to do with all of it, or if you just want to hang on to the flavors of the season throughout the winter, a simple liqueur like this one is just the trick. It will last all through this winter and well into next one, and it serves as an excellent reminder of warmer days on those chilly evenings that are fast approaching. Simply take about a pint of ripe fruit (I used blackberries, but feel free to use anything thats in season and ripe.) and combine with one bottle of the liquor of your choice. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks, strain through a cheesecloth, and add simple syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water, heated to dissolve) to taste; somewhere around a cup or two. Allow this to mellow for several months.

I've used Southern Comfort here because its sweeter and has the caramel and orange notes that remind me of the holidays. You could use just about any type of whiskey, but not scotch. Rum will give you a slightly sweeter finished product. Vodka will give you a much cleaner berry flavor, but without as much complexity. If you want an especially sweet cordial you could start with everclear and add some extra fruit. This will allow you to add twice as much simple syrup later with out letting the alcohol content drop to low. I've been fairly vague about measurements because its all a matter of taste, and half the fun is experimenting with different combinations. Try adding some other flavors to the mix before straining: cloves, whole alspice, star anise, whole almond, ginger, orange peel, etc.