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In honor of Kitchen Month, our very own eCommerce Producer, John, was willing to share his mom’s delicious blackberry pie recipe. Mom would be so proud! Give it a try and let us know what you think.

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Mom’s Blackberry Pie

Ingredients:
2 bags frozen Marion blackberries
2 cups sugar
5 Tbsp. dry Tapioca
¼ tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
1 box Pillsbury Pie crust

Instructions:
Combine Berries, sugar, lemon juice, tapioca, and salt.  Line pie pan with pastry crust. Add filling mixture and dot with butter.  Cover with top pastry crust.  Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes then bring oven temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool for at least an hour or it will not be set up and will be runny.  Enjoy!!

When we heard about Disney Family Fun magazine’s “homemade ice cream from a baggie” recipe, we had to spread the word. It’s a fun activity to do with kids and it’s super easy to make. What a great idea!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup salt (Kosher or rock salt works best, but table salt is fine.)
Ice cubes (enough to fill each gallon-size bag about half full)
1 pint-size ziplock® bag
1 gallon-size ziplock® bag

Serves 1

Instructions

1.     Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.

2.     Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it’s done.

3.     Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag.

Strawberry Shortcake
Makes: 8 servings
Time: 20 minutes preparation, 15 minutes cooking

1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3  cup whole milk

*Both serving options require strawberries
{1/2 cup strawberries per person}

Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cream the shortening and sugar with an electric mixer.  Add in egg and vanilla, and then cream again. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and then add in the milk. Spread batter in an 8- inch circular cake pan and bake for 13-15 minutes at 425 degrees F or until golden brown.

Traditional Serving Option:
1/2 cup strawberries per person, lightly mashed
Whipped Cream

Allow the shortcake to cool slightly in pan before removing. Cut the shortcake through the middle, separating the top and bottom layer, and cool for an additional hour.  Lightly mash the strawberries and lay over the bottom layer the shortcake. Coat heavily with whip cream and place the top layer of the shortcake over the mixture. Slice and serve.

Alternative Quick Serving Option:
1/2 cup strawberries per person, chopped or lightly mashed
1 Pint Vanilla frozen yogurt
Pure Maple Syrup, 2 tablespoons per serving

Allow the shortcake to cool slightly in pan before removing. Cut the shortcake into your desired serving sizes, and arrange on plates. Add a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt and the ½ cup of chopped or lightly mashed strawberries. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup over the top of the dish and serve.

A good buttercream frosting can be made even better by adding 1 teaspoon of butter flavoring. Find it at your grocery store or online.

Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup of room temperature butter (or ½ c. butter and ½ c. solid vegetable shortening)

3-4 c. sifted power sugar

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

1 tsp. butter flavoring

2-4 T. milk, cream or water

Beat butter/shortening until softened and smooth. (Solution’s BeaterBlade+ for KitchenAid mixers will get to the entire edge of the mixing bowl without having to stop and scrape!) Slowly add about 3 cups of the powdered sugar. Add the flavorings. Add as much milk as needed for the consistency you want.

Hint: Professional bakers start with a “crumb coating” layer of thinner frosting. Let this layer sit. The second layer of frosting can be thicker and will go on more easily.

View all of our recipes here.

This easy cobbler is sure to impress your guests. To make it even tastier, top it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream while it’s still warm.
Picking time: 30-40 minutes

Continue Reading Easy Blackberry Cobbler

In celebration of the blackberries that are now in season on the nature trail behind our office, the Solutions staff is going to share some of our favorite blackberry recipes! To start things off: a quick and simple blackberry fool. With just half twenty minutes of leisurely picking, you’ll have enough to serve 4 to 6 people this luscious, creamy dessert!

Continue Reading Blackberry Fools

Ingredients:

2¼ c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 T. orange juice
¼ c. molasses
2 T. granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture. Place dough, uncovered, in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Remove dough from freezer and shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll balls in the remaining sugar, then place them on an ungreased baking sheet (about 2 inches apart). Flatten with a fork or spatula.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

View all of our recipes here.