Hi all - I recently discovered Rose’s online newsletter [or whatever] and now her blog - I love your stuff, Rose!
I’d like to make a raspberry sauce and filling for a very rich chocolate cake. I tried using frozen raspberries, sweetening with agave [I have an intolerance for milk products and sugar (as in cane and beet)]. I added a little cinnamon and vanilla and cooked for a while - then decided to add flower, pretend butter [I use Earth Balance], and dribbled in an egg - cooked till it thickened. It became a pudding like filling and there was enough left to spread thinly on the top and sides of the cake.
In many ways it was great - however it seemed the flour etc. diminshed the stronger raspberry flavor. Any recipes or ideas on how to keep that sharp, tangy raspberry flavor?
Most likely, you all have recipes that include foods I can’t use. I hope you’ll post them anyway, I may be able to adapt.
I use a frozen rasp puree, and for every cup of that…(could be a bit more) I add 1/3 cup of sugar, and a tsp of lemon juice… heat over medium heat till sugar dissolves, boil three minutes…. Raspberry Coulis…
you could probably get a similar result with honey??? just puree frozen raspberries…
for the filling, I don’t know… how bout a raspberry ganache, oops, no milk products.. hmmm, lemme think for abit…
I don’t think you could find anything better than Rose’s raspberry puree (it is in the cake bible and several of her other books). It has the same ingredients clement mentions, but it is made using different techniques, including reducing some of the juice so that the flavor is pleasantly intense.
Pectin is a nice thickener for a fruit sauce—I’d start by using about a third to a half as much pectin as you would use to make jam. Be sure to use a kind that can be used with low-sugar recipes—the “regular” pectin requires a large amount of sugar to set up properly.
I agree with post above, Rose’s recipes for raspberry puree and jam are just wonderful! The technique of reducing the juice for flavor, but only cooking the fruit just a little while, makes for intense flavor.
good point on the fluid reduction.. since this obviously is not necessary with the ready made puree.. sorry that I didn’t think of that.. but glad that some chimed in..
I’ve found that the less that you add to berries, the more “true” to flavor they are… especially in a sauce/jam, type product…
Here’s a tip from Jacques Pepin from his Techniques show on PBS: When straining raspberry puree, don’t start squishing the berries through right away or the strainer will become blocked. One seed, one hole, he said. Rather, he taps the edge of the strainer (like sifting with a strainer) until most of the puree has passed through the sieve. Then he squishes.
You are all so wonderful. I hope this will post - I replied yesterday but it didn’t show up. I appreciate all of your replies, each is valuable. I don’t have the Cook Bible for Rose’s recipe [having only recently learned of her] but I will seek it out. I searched on raspberry sauce and nothing came up, so it doesn’t seem to be online. Again, all of your comments are helpful and I appreciate them.
Hi FRESHKID, I just did ‘fast reply’ but it was so fast it didn’t post. Go figure!
I don’t know what ‘chambord’ is, I’m embarrassed to say. I’ll be getting the Cake Bible [not Cook Bible that I typo’d in my last post here] in a couple of days, maybe it’ll be in there. Otherwise, would you like to fill me in? It sounds like a cross between champagne and a very fine butter.
Thanks, Kid!
MMS
MARY/MS, Thank-you for the timely reply. Chambord is a Rasberry Liquer. Similliar to like Blackberry brandy is to balackberries & triple sec is to oranges as well as grand marinier ete. If you have nothing against using liquer even in small amounts I think it will help you in getting “THE MORE FLAVOR” you are looking for in your dessert.
Again, have a nice day my friend.
You are all so wonderful. I hope this will post - I replied yesterday but it didn’t show up. I appreciate all of your replies, each is valuable. I don’t have the Cook Bible for Rose’s recipe [having only recently learned of her] but I will seek it out. I searched on raspberry sauce and nothing came up, so it doesn’t seem to be online. Again, all of your comments are helpful and I appreciate them.
I have experienced the same problem with posting after using the Check Spelling feature on this screen. Maybe that’s what happened to you?
I would HIGHLY recommend Rose’s raspberry puree - the raspberry flavor is incredibly intense and uses frozen berries which are available all year long. You can easily adjust the type of sweetener used in the recipe to suit your needs. You can also thaw and refreeze it several times without any flavor/texture loss. (I love the strawberry version too)
There’s a nice quick raspberry sauce recipe in Shirley Corriher’s Cookwise that I like to make and put on cheesecake. Off the top of my head, you make it by thawing 20 oz. of frozen raspberries and collecting the juice. (I tend to have to mash them on the strainer to get as much juice as possible.) Then add 2 Tbsp of arrowroot starch and cook until thickened (doesn’t take much heat with arrowroot). Remove from heat and add back the fruit along with 3 Tbsp of Chambord raspberry liqueur. The Chambord is very sweet, and thus it provides just the right amount of sweetness. The arrowroot thickens nicely while keeping the sauce from becoming cloudy. If you can’t find arrowroot, I’ve made this with instant tapioca that I’ve ground up in my spice mill (coffee grinder), but if I recall correctly you need to add a bit more than you would arrowroot.
] I’d been thinking a little brandy would enhance it but this sounds perfect! many thanks,
