I get way too excited when fruit is on sale. That's how I ended up with 4 containers of blackberries ($1.69 each!), sitting in my fridge and mocking me as I barely made a dent in them each morning by putting them on my cereal.
The original reason I bought them was to use on cupcakes for the Iron Cupcake Challenge - Herbs (Lemon Thyme Cake with Vanilla Lemon Zest Buttercream and topped with a blackberry). Those came out very well, and looked so pretty, too - in fact, my favorite cupcakes have been my berry-topped ones. This is good to remember for next month's challenge which is, you guessed it, Berries.
After 3 days and with 2 full containers left, I knew I needed to make something quickly or they would start to go bad. I looked around on the internet and found this recipe on Confections of a Foodie Bride, and it could not have been more perfect.
I didn't have any buttermilk, so I tried a buttermilk substitute method that has been on my list to try. You take 1/2 C. of regular milk (I used 1%) and add 1/2 T. of white vinegar. Let that sit for 5 minutes, and you have buttermilk! It worked great - no more running out to the store for buttermilk at the last minute, or throwing out old curdled buttermilk 2 weeks later. Hooray!
Just like Foodie Bride, I was skeptical of such a simple recipe - I think I expected it to be ok at best, but it was so good and moist, with a nice subtle lemon flavor and a nice strong fruit taste. Having a slice warm out of the oven was heavenly. You sprinkle sugar on the top before baking, and when you invert it to cool, the "top" becomes the bottom and you get this nice surprise crunch with every bite.
The best part was, it was very easy (just like the recipe says, but has a nice uniform appearance so that it is pretty enough to serve to guests.
I am definitely keeping this one in my "tried and true" file, and can't wait to try it with other berries this season. Great for brunch, tea, or a light dessert. Easy enough to make on a whim on any given night or when people drop by.
