it’s been a weird couple of weeks around here. rather urgently, i had to have all four of my wisdom teeth extracted, which i have been putting off forever (i managed to put it off until i no longer had dental insurance), and my recovery time collided with three of our biggest back-to-school events at work, along with my birthday and our wedding anniversary. sadly, yes, i spent our 4th anniversary in a drug-induced nap, and while my appetite has returned since, i’m still not chewing like the champ that i am just yet.
this painful experience was accompanied with a surprising lack of energy, so i’m thrilled that my mom went picking wild blackberries and shared a whole bunch with me.
i’m also secretly so glad i didnt have to pick them myself!… the end of every summer of my childhood found us picking a lot of wild blackberries for winter storage, the brambles having grown all year at a rapid pace, like in the movie Sleeping Beauty, overwhelming nearby plants or structures, and scratching little welts into my hands and arms as i reached for the fruit. i hated this chore. i hated helping my dad beat back the brambles in the pasture in Autumn, or loosening their grip on the chicken coop, trying to scoop the prickly vines into a bonfire pile. blackberry brambles are mean. but the fruit is well worth the scratches!
this is a beautiful and super-simple dessert that showcases flavorful, end-of-summer blackberries with just four ingredients. purchased puff pastry is baked into squares that puff up into flakey pillows, which are cooled, split and filled with blackberries. Martha’s original version uses mascarpone cheese as a complement to the fruit, which i recommend, but when i made these i didn’t have any, so i slightly sweetened some whipped cream instead. i make these every time i have fresh blackberries and both versions are delicious… i imagine softened cream cheese would be a good substitute if you can’t find mascarpone, as well. enjoy!
blackberry puffs
adapted from martha stewart makes 8- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 12 ounces blackberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- mascarpone cheese or cream cheese (about 1 cup)
on a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. cut into eight 3 x 5 pieces and chill on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 15 minutes. preheat oven to 400 degrees.
bake until puffed and golden, 12 – 15 minutes. let cool.
mash blackberries in a bowl with the sugar, until juicy but with pieces of fruit remaining. split cooled pastries in half horizontally, spread with cheese and top with fruit.
I just saw puff pastry today and was thinking what to make with it.. and I have some blueberries!! yay!!
Yum! I remember when you made these. And then we watched old slides on the projector. :)
Yes! Celeste — i remember that, too. i love watching slides!!
Oh my god — those look so good! I love desserts that are sophisticated looking but easy to make. And happy (belated) anniversary! Hope you two got a chance to celebrate after your mouth recovered from surgery.
Thank you! We are feeling better (N is getting over a summer headcold) and this weekend we are going to spend in Portland for our annviersary, drinking and eating and relaxing! I’m looking forward to it! Sprouted Kitchen is going to be presenting her new cookbook at Powell’s, so that would be fun to go to also! 4pm on Saturday :)
ouch, i hope you recover quickly. i remember when i had mine taken out, i was too young to be knocked out so i was awake the entire time. i cried.
anyway, these look like such the treat for an indian summer. have a wonderful anniversary celebration and happiest of birthday wishes to you!
Thank you, Lan!… i ended up having a really fun birthday (go-kart racing and a cookout!) despite my teeth, and now i am feeling much more like myself, and my surgeon said i dont have to come see him again! hurray. i feel bad for your younger self — that must have been so scary. i dont think i could have gone through it awake! part of the reason i put it off so long is that i was terrified.
Hope you’re feeling better….and this looks so delicious! And easy…the best kind of recipe :).
Thanks, Sandi! I am feeling much better! woohooo! chewing like a champ again :)
I have such a hard time coming ot your site because every time I do, I get HUNGRY!
Yummmmm, on this latest treat.
I think i am just always hungry :) Love you!
they look so delicious! I was totally going to make a version of these with my raspberries, but it somehow slipped my mind :-/
holy smokes these look wonderful! i was wondering, do you think they would be good with a brie? i’m so happy to hear you’re chewing like a champ again. there (for me) is nothing worse than the mind being willing and the body not.
thank you — I’m very happy to be chewing again, also! i think these would be WONDERful with a brie!! oh man, great idea. you could maybe even make like a warm blueberry compote instead of the blackberries…. WOOHOO yum!