BLACKBERRY DESSERT SOUP
A smooth and elegant orange spiced blackberry soup, lightly sweetened with maple sugar. Lightly iced!
Makes 4 cups
5 c. blackberries (fresh or frozen), if you use frozen, then measure them while they’re still frozen
2 c. orange juice
3 T. maple sugar or to taste
light dash sea salt
3 dashes pumpkin pie spice
Place berries and orange juice into saucepan. Heat to very hot, but do not boil. Turn heat off.
Using potato masher, mash berries in the saucepan till smooth, then place in a wire mesh strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon or spatula, force berries against sides till all but the seeds have passed through. Discard seeds.
Pour soup into a freezer-proof bowl.
Add maple sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Stir well to dissolve sugar, then place in freezer till soup becomes very cold and just a bit iced.
When ready for dessert, ladle into cups or bowls and serve.
Notes: This is my favorite fruit soup. Blackberries possess such a lovely, unique flavor quality, unlike any other fruit. Fresh picked berries are even better. In Oregon, where we used to live, blackberries grow wild just about anywhere, and are they ever delicious and fragrant.
Maple sugar is available in many specialty food stores. Check on the internet before you drive all over town. You never can tell how sweet a berry will be, so use as much or as little maple sugar as you want.
Use a wire mesh strainer to strain this soup, not a colander. The holes of a colander are too large and the seeds will fall right through along with much of the berries. This soup should not contain one seed.
Be careful not to freeze soup till solid. What you’re looking for is slightly iced, which will congeal it ever so nicely.
Do not use bitter or overly acidic orange juice. Some fresh pressed juices in the market possess those qualities. It’s better to use a good quality frozen concentrate and make the juice according to instructions. You decide.
I use no garnish on this soup. Not every dessert needs a sprig of mint.
CHEF DAVIES-TIGHT™ 