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Recipe Category: Sweets & Treats

Breakfast, Sweets & Treats

Blackberry Summer Buckle Cupcakes

12 servings
mini buckles loaded with blackberry bounty

A Ramble Through the Bramble 
Some call them weeds, others a thorny nuisance (to arms, legs, and pride), but whatever the reputation, wild blackberries are undeniably delicious. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and fiber, these juicy morsels are as nutritious as they are tasty. And if you know where to look and have a good recipe at the ready, we promise: the juice is absolutely worth the squeeze. 

Surprisingly, blackberries aren’t technically berries. Each “berry” is actually an aggregate of tiny fruits called drupelets. Their season typically runs from June through September. California is home to eleven blackberry species, and both Nevada and Placer counties are teeming with brambles just waiting to be explored. Jump to Recipe.

Foraging Pro Tips 
First things first: be aware of your surroundings. Much of the area may be National Forest, but you can easily cross into private land without realizing it. And even on public lands, like National Parks, specific foraging rules apply – know them before you go. 

Dress wisely. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are a must (unless you’re aiming for that scratched-up look). Durable fabrics like denim offer added protection. For serious pickers, a heavy-duty glove, like a welder’s glove, can help you part the brambles for easier picking. Whatever you wear, expect blackberry juice stains that may never come out. And remember to only pick the berries that are deep purple-black. If they’re red, they’re not ripe. 

Making the Most of Your Bounty 
If you’re brave (and smart) enough to venture out and gather these juicy gems, your taste buds will thank you. But don’t wait too long – blackberries are highly perishable and should be eaten or frozen within a couple of days. That goes for thawed berries, too: use them quickly for the best flavor and texture. 

So, got those berries ready? Good, let’s get to using ‘em! 

Summer Fruit Mini Buckles  

A buckle is a cake that is so stuffed with fruit that it “buckles” under its weight. This recipe is the cupcake version of that – so no one can complain someone else got the bigger piece! Enjoying with ice cream is optional but encouraged.   

  

Cake Ingredients

  • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened   
  • ¾ cups granulated sugar 1 egg
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract   
  • ½ tsp kosher salt   
  • 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup whole milk   
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder   
  • 1 ½ cups berries  
  • 1 cup stone fruit, chopped 
  • 12 cupcake liners 

Crumb Toppings Ingredients

  • ½ cup light brown sugar   
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour  
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt   
  • ⅛ tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
  • 2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼” cubes    

Directions

Make crumbs first. Preheat oven to 325°

  1. Mix dries together in a bowl, then gently cut in butter until mixture is sandy. Set aside.   

Make the cake

  1. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt alternately with milk. Fold in fruit.   
  2. Scoop into cupcake liners. Sprinkle crumbs on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tester comes out clean.     
  3. Enjoy with a spoonful of Cocowhip or vanilla ice cream for dessert or toss them in the toaster oven to enjoy with your morning coffee.

Sweets & Treats

Aguas Frescas

2 servings
Refrescante! Aguas Frescas Recipe

Hibiscus, horchata (rice is so nice), and tamarind are classics, but the real beauty of aguas frescas is how easy they are to remix. Just grab some fresh fruit, lime juice, a touch of sweetener (if you need it), maybe a few mint leaves for flair, and you’re already halfway to hydration heaven. Blend it all up, and bam—liquid sunshine in your glass. 

Aguas frescas can be any number of different beverages depending on the fruit you choose to add. Try this super easy and refreshing, bright beverage on a hot summer’s day!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup roughly chopped fruit
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tsp sweetener (sugar, agave, whatever you like!)
  • Optional: Fruit slices for garnish

Directions

If your fruit’s already peak-level sweet, you might not even need the sweetener.

For an extra twist, toss in a few fresh mint leaves—because why just hydrate when you can elevate? Blend it all until smooth, taste-test for sweetness or minty-ness, and serve over ice. Boom.

H20 quotient ✅
Fun quotient ✅✅✅ 

Sweets & Treats

Easy Blueberry Jam

jam jar full of blueberry jam on wooden cutting board with jam spread on toast

This simple blueberry jam recipe is done in 20 minutes and uses just 3 key ingredients. Skip the canning process, skip the pectin. You can freeze it for up to a year so when you have a bounty of berries, whip up a bunch for later. Makes 1.5 cups of blueberry goodness!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 lemon , zested and juiced
  • Pinch salt

Directions

Pump up the jam!

  1. In a medium saucepan, stir together blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pinch of salt over medium heat. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally while gently crushing some of the blueberries, 7 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened and a digital thermometer reads 220°F or until jam thickens on the back of a spoon (dip a spoon in and coat the back. Run your finger through the jam—if it leaves a clear path, it’s done).
  3. Let cool. 5 minutes in the saucepan before transferring to jars. Leave unopened and let come to room temperature. Once the jam is at room temperature, seal jars and store in the refrigerator. The jam might take 24 to 48 hours to fully set up, but it can be eaten immediately.

Pro Tips: If you don’t have a thermometer: To check if the jam is ready, dip a spoon in and coat the back. Run your finger through the jam—if it leaves a clear path, it’s done. When cooling the jam, leave it uncovered after filling the jars, then refrigerate. It should keep in the fridge for up to 10 days; in the freezer, store it up to a year by storing it in a freezer-safe zipper bag.

Sweets & Treats, Vegan

Fruity Kaleido-skewers

12 servings
Fresh melon, grapes, grapefruit, blackberry, strawberry and pineapple on skewers with a creamy dipping sauce

Fun, deliciously dippable fruit goodness.  

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vanilla yogurt 
  • ½ cup sour cream 
  • 2 Tbsp honey 
  • 1 tsp Local Spicery Moroccan Breakfast Spice 
  • 1 tsp orange zest 
  • 12 strawberries 
  • 12 suprêmes, cut from oranges or a grapefruit 
  • 12 pineapple chunks 
  • 12 green grapes 
  • 12 blackberries 
  • 12 bamboo skewers 

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, sour cream, honey, spice and orange zest. 
  2. Thread fruit onto bamboo skewers in rainbow order of colors. Drizzle with or dip into sauce. 
Sweets & Treats, Vegan

Spritzer-iffic Rainbow Bevvies

6 servings
Rainbow of fresh fruits stacked in a mason jar on a rustic wood table. Several berries strewn alongside.

Fruit salad meets citrusy bubbles. Just the thing to sip on a summer day!  

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle dry white wine, chilled – like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio 
  • ½ cup lemon-flavored vodka 
  • 1 can lemon-lime seltzer 
  • 4 cups watermelon, cut in ½-inch cubes 
  • 2-3 kiwis, cut into rounds 
  • 4 cups papaya, cut in ½-inch cubes 
  • 1 cup blueberries 
  • 2 cups strawberries 

Directions

  1. Place layers of fruit into serving glasses, leaving berries for later.  
  2. Stir together wine and vodka in a pitcher. Add in lemon-lime seltzer and pour mixture into fruit-filled glasses, up to about ½ inch from the rim. Top with berries and serve with straws and spoons. 
Sweets & Treats

Nigori Bundt Cake

12 servings

Adding sake to dessert recipes will give your sweet treats an exciting and complex twist that most folks won’t be able to place, but they’ll just know it tastes great.

Here’s a bundt cake recipe using sake in both the batter and glaze. Any sake will work. If you use nigori sake (the unfiltered type) it will lend more sweetness than the clear varieties. Remember the same rule as cooking with wine; if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it. 

Ingredients

  • Cake: 
  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
  • 2 cups white granulated sugar 
  • 5 eggs, at room temperature 
  • 3 1/3 cups cake flour 
  • 1 Tbsp + ¼ tsp baking powder  
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt  
  • ½ cup sake – nigori or other 
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice 
  • zest of 1 orange 
  • ½ cup almond flour or additional granulated sugar for pan  
  • Glaze: 
  • 6 Tbsp butter 
  • 1 ½ cup confectioners’ sugar 
  • ¼ cup sake – nigori or other

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°.  
  2. (Do not prep your bundt pan until right before pouring your batter in. This will prevent sticking, especially if you have a pan with lots of nooks and crannies!) 
  3. In a mixer, beat butter, zest, sugar and salt together until light and fluffy.  
  4. Whisk together flour and baking soda together.  In a separate container, mix sake and juice together.  
  5. Add eggs one at a time to butter/sugar mixture, beating and scraping between each egg. After all eggs are fully incorporated, add flour and liquid mixtures alternately – 3 batches of flour and 2 liquid, ending with flour. Beat until just incorporated.  
  6. Now, prep your pan! Spray pan thoroughly with nonstick spray. If you don’t have this, use a neutral-flavored oil on a paper towel. Butter/flour mixture has a tendency to stick in the crevices of fancier bundt pans. After the pan is thoroughly greased, toss almond flour or sugar to coat inside of pan, knocking out excess.  
  7. Pour batter into pan and bake 50-65 minutes, until skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes. Make sure edges aren’t sticking to pan, then invert onto a plate. If cake doesn’t fall out by itself, you can put it back in the oven for a few minutes then remove and immediately try inverting again.  
  8. While your cake is baking prepare your glaze. Microwave or heat glaze ingredients and stir until melted. Carefully brush over cake while it’s still warm – it will be clear. It is meant to impart flavor and additional moisture. Let the cake cool before cutting.