Saskatoon Berry and Ricotta Crepes for Shrove Tuesday

Saskatoon Berry and Ricotta Crepes

1 c. whole milk
1/3 c. water
1 c. unbleached flour
3 tbsp. melted butter
3 eggs
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

1 c. ricotta
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. lemon zest

1 c. saskatoon berries
2 tbsp. sugar or to taste
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. cold water

Add first 8 ingredients to a blender. Puree until thoroughly blended. Pour batter into a bowl, cover and let sit for an hour or overnight. Gently stir before using. Try not to incorporate air bubbles.

Preheat your crepe pan and very light grease with butter. You will ruin a few crepes while you get the temperature just right. The finished crepe should be very pale with only a hint of browning.

This is slightly too browned.

Pour about one quarter to one third cup of batter into middle of the pan and swirl to make a large thin pancake. Cook until the edge becomes slightly crispy. Loosen edge with rubber spatula and turn crepe over. Cook until the batter releases from the pan and you can easily slip the crepe onto a dish, about 30 seconds. Cook all of the crepes and set aside.

Make ricotta filling by combining ricotta with honey and lemon zest. Make berry topping by combining berries with sugar, cornstarch and cold water. Gently heat over medium low heat until bubbly. Cool and serve.

Put these together by  spreading each crepe with a tablespoon of ricotta filling. Roll into a cigar shape. Spoon warm berry sauce over, garnish with toasted sliced almonds and lemon zest. Serve.

The recipe will make about 18 crepes. If you don't use them all, stack with a piece of waxed or parchment paper between each crepe and seal in a freezer bag. Freeze until needed. Better yet, fill with the ricotta, roll and freeze. Pull them out of the freezer, defrost and serve with a warm saskatoon berry sauce.

Saskatoon Berry Madeleines

The day after I made these madeleines I took them to the school where I was the substitute teacher. These 6 children on the Colony were my tasting panel. "What is the secret ingredient?" I asked. Well, they said saskatoons and lemons, which of course, I told them were no secret at all. Those were the bold flavours. They could not taste anything unusual or different. They loved these. That is my proof that the lentil flour was a success in this recipe.

A madeleine is a small French butter cake. They are almost like a little cupcake. They can be mixed up in advance, cooked in just a few minutes and are a sure crowd pleaser for any party. They are very 'fashion forward'. Simple, rich and flavourful desserts are in vogue. I had fresh out of the oven madeleines with a chocolate dipping sauce at a very chi chi restaurant last month. I loved the warm and fresh little cakes. It felt decadent and did not break my budget.

Saskatoon berries are a favourite on the Canadian prairies and northern plains of the United States. They are so unique that they have been added to the Slow Food Ark of Taste. The Ark honours foods and food preparation styles that are unique to an area and something we would never want to lose.

The saskatoons have a unique flavour reminescent of blueberries but less sweet and a 'je ne sais quois' that is impossible to describe. Needless to say they are a strong favourite and a coveted experience for anyone visiting the region. The berry is dry and lends itself to baking in batters.

Canadian Lentils has a recipe challenge until April 7.  Pop on over to view all the interesting recipes and 'like' mine so I have a better chance to win some prizes. This is my entry in the Dessert category. I am incorporating the lentils in the flour ingredients. This is my final entry for this contest. I have been cooking with and eating lentils for the past month, and you know what, I like them. I had no idea how many adaptations I could make to incorporate lentils into my recipes.

Green lentils grind easily in a blender to produce a cornmeal textured flour. I have a VitaMix blender and it ground a cup of lentils in less than a minute. Sieve it if you would like a finer flour.

I can see many applications for this flour.

Lentils are naturally gluten-free.  They add a raft of nutrients and dietary fibre. The flavour of green lentils is peppery and works well in many recipes.

This recipe is almost gluten free! These are best served right out of the oven. Rich and delicious. The tart lemon glaze is perfect to compliment the rich and intense flavour of saskatoon berries.

Saskatoon Berry Madeleines

3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup lentil flour, sieved
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
zest of one lemon
2/3 cup saskatoon berries
3/4 cup melted butter, cooled to room temperature plus more to grease pans
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
water

Brush madeleine pan with melted butter. Dust with flour and tap out excess. Refrigerate. I tried both all purpose flour and lentil flour for dusting the pan and I prefer the lentil flour. It is easiest to use a sieve and dust it over the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip eggs, sugar and salt for 5 minutes until frothy.

Whisk flour with baking powder. Fold egg mixture into flour with spatula.

Add lemon zest to cooled butter and slowly pour butter into batter while gently folding the batter. Fold just until all butter is incorporated.

Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. These were in the refrigerator overnight.

To bake, preheat oven to 425F. Fill indentations in madeleine pan about 3/4 full, approximately 1 large tablespoon. Don't spread out the batter. Just leave it in a clump. I found that a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop was the perfect size.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until cakes feel set. While cakes are baking make the glaze by stirring together icing sugar, lemon juice and enough water to make it smooth.

Remove from oven. Carefully loosen each cake with a table knife while still hot. Cool for a couple of minutes and empty pan onto a cooling rack. The berries can stick to the pan so be gentle. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, dip each cake into the glaze. I only dipped the bottom side but you can do both sides if you wish.  Scrape off excess glaze. Place on rack to cool and let glaze set.

Best served immediately. Can be kept in a container up to 3 days. Do not freeze with the glaze. The glaze will melt.

Saskatoon Berry Pie - My Cherished Canadian Recipe

The Canadian Food Experience Project is the brainchild of Valerie at A Canadian Foodie. This is the 4th edition of a yearlong project. This month we have 80 participants. I am blown away by the participation.

My previous posts in this series can be found at these links:
My Earliest Memory of Canadian Food
Regional Canadian Food - SW Saskatchewan 
Local Food Heroes 

This is a re-post of pie I made last Christmas for our family gathering. I had to think long and hard what I would consider my most cherished recipe. As with all cultures around the world, except the most isolated, cuisine evolves. Most recipes have been tweeked and adjusted to fit our lifestyle today.

Then I remembered saskatoon berry pie. This is a recipe that will never change. It will always be the same because it is just perfect the way it is.

I have tried many recipes and this one is the best I have tried. 

I made the pies, frozen them, defrosted in the refrigerator for about 6 hours, then baked as fresh below. 

Serve with homemade vanilla bean ice cream.

Saskatoon Berry Pie 

• 4 cups saskatoon berries
• 3/4 cup sugar, granulated
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup water
• Pastry for double crust pie
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a saucepan, simmer saskatoon berries in water for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice. Stir in granulated sugar mixed with flour. 
2. Pour into pastry lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust; seal and flute edges. 
3. Bake in 425F oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350F oven and bake 35-45 minutes longer or until golden brown.

 

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

4 egg yolks

2 cups half and half cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Whisk yolks and sugar until lemon coloured.  In a sauce pan scald the cream with the vanilla seeds and bean.  Temper the egg yolks with this hot milk.  Do this by adding a little at a time while whisking the egg yolks.  Eventually you will have added all the milk.  Cook this mixture in a double boiler until thickened.  Cool, strain, churn according to your machine's directions.

Saskatoon Berry Pie

We are having a traditional Saskatchewan Christmas with the whole family. I will share some of our recipes here. On Christmas Eve my sister decided to have a Wild Night. No, no, no! It isn't that kind of wild night! We are making some wild game recipes! This dessert of saskatoon berry pie is a natural pairing. This is a berry native to the Canadian prairies and northern American Great Plains. 

Saskatoons are a very healthy berry. They are high in antioxidants and fibre. Pie works best if the filling is made in advance and then bake the filled pastry. I made this in advance. I made the pies, froze them, then defrosted in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. Then baked as fresh below. 

Serve with homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Yum! 

Saskatoon Berry Pie 

• 4 cups saskatoon berries
• 3/4 cup sugar, granulated
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup water
• Pastry for double crust pie
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a saucepan, simmer saskatoon berries in water for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice. Stir in granulated sugar mixed with flour. 
2. Pour into pastry lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust; seal and flute edges. 
3. Bake in 425F oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350F oven and bake 35-45 minutes longer or until golden brown.

 

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

4 egg yolks

2 cups half and half cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Whisk yolks and sugar until lemon coloured.  In a sauce pan scald the cream with the vanilla seeds and bean.  Temper the egg yolks with this hot milk.  Do this by adding a little at a time while whisking the egg yolks.  Eventually you will have added all the milk.  Cook this mixture in a double boiler until thickened.  Cool, strain, churn according to your machine's directions.