Is it Spring yet? As residents in the Washington, DC area batten down the hatches for what I hope will be the last winter storm this year, I have to wonder if Spring will ever come. The signs are there – the tulips and other Spring bulbs are starting to poke out of the ground and the robins are building nests. The lawn mowers and other yard tools are even in stock at Lowes and Home Depot as we found out yesterday when we foolishly tried to find a snow blower. Don’t dig out your shorts and flip-flops yet, however, the forecasted low for Tuesday is 1 degree Fahrenheit. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had just about enough of this winter stuff.
Normally, I am a big fan of cooking whatever produce is in season. It’s cheaper, but more importantly, it just tastes better. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been really disappointed with tomatoes in winter. But, considering the forecast, I believe emergency measures are now necessary.
Looking ahead to warmer times I decided to make a raspberry dessert sauce. I’ve recently decided to make my own fruit sauces to add to my Greek yogurt rather than buying the sugar-laden premixed varieties at the grocery store. This raspberry sauce is a perfect choice. It’s got just the right mix of fruit, sweetness and just a little touch of sour. Although it’s great mixed into yogurt, don’t limit yourself to just that. It’s fabulous over ice cream, and I imagine it would be pretty good over pound cake, if you are so inclined.
Raspberry Dessert Sauce
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
You can use any kind of berries or a mixture of berries for this simple sauce. The sauce can be frozen, simply thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to use it.
3 6-ounce packages raspberries
4 tablespoons evaporated cane juice (turbinado sugar)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Place 2 packages of the raspberries in a saucepan with 1/4 cup water and the sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the fruit falls apart. Use a little of the liquid from the pan to make a slurry with the cornstarch, then pour the mixture into the pan with the fruit. Continue to simmer until the mixture thickens. Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Add the remaining 6 ounces of raspberries and the lemon juice and stir gently to cover the whole berries with the sauce.
Adapted from La Tartine Gourmande by Béatrice Peltre