A Quick Berry Recipe {because we've been berry picking again}

{doing}&{cooking}

We went berry picking again last week...... this time for raspberries and blueberries, which have just come in season. (actually I was hoping to maybe get a few last strawberries too, but by the time we'd picked the raspberries and blueberries we were hot and tired and being the very very end of strawberry season it would have taken more effort to find those last few berries than we felt capable of by then - although I bet they would have been good!) The farm has several varieties of raspberries in the patch, but I ended up getting mostly black raspberries (hence them looking like blackberries in the above picture), and of course also blueberries.

 {I didn't take many pictures because we are planning on going again with some friends of ours and I figure we'll take a bunch of pictures then.... I should have at least also taken a picture of the blueberry bushes this time I guess, but I forgot....}

 We actually haven't eaten/used many of them yet - which we either need to hurry up and do or I need to hurry up and freeze them.  I've been wanting to try making a Lemon Chess pie with black raspberries in it, but I keep forgetting to get the recipe for the lemon chess pie from my mom; but I did quickly, the other morning when I had a few minutes, make some black raspberry and lemon cream cheese galettes.  Really the recipe and method for making these is almost exactly the same as the strawberry and cream cheese galettes I posted a couple weeks ago, with just a few little changes.

So here's the recipe.......
{check out the post for the strawberry ones for some pictures to go with some of the steps.... I was trying to make these quickly and didn't take any pictures until they were done and cooling}

Black Raspberry and Lemon Cream Cheese Galettes

{Ingredients:}
refrigerated pie crusts {or homemade if you'd rather}
2 {ish} cups Black Raspberries {or whatever variety or raspberry you'd like yo use}
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 oz. cream cheese {softened}
1 cup powdered sugar
Juice of half of a lemon, plus a little more
1-2 tablespoons melted butter

{this should be enough for 8 tarts}

{Instructions:}

{1} In a bowl, mix raspberries with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes up to 30 minutes. (this is called macerating.... it softens, sweetens and releases the berries juices - while technically you're supposed to let them sit for 20-30 minutes I rarely leave them that long.... it's usually more like 10 minutes, basically just however long it takes me to get to the point of the recipe that I'm using them)

{2} While the berries are macerating, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.  You're going to want to add the sugar in small amounts (especially if you are using an electric mixer) to keep it from ending up all over the place.  I like to beat the cream cheese just a little bit first then add in the powdered about 1/4 cup at a time beating well between them.  When you're done this should have the consistency of a soft frosting (I've used this as cream cheese frosting actually)

{3} Add the lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture and stir until well blended (you can adjust the amount of lemon juice you use depending on how lemony you want them to taste..... the amount I listed in the ingredients probably isn't going to give you a real strong lemony taste by the time you add in the flavors of the berries and pie crust, but it gives it a nice little hint of lemon.... if you want it stronger add more lemon juice) 

{4} Cut the pie crusts into quarters ( you'll end up with 4 tarts from each crust). Roll each piece into a ball and then re-roll it out into a flat round disk (roll it to about the same thickness it was before - or very slightly thinner to make it a smidge larger - that's what I did)

{5} Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the crusts, then put a small spoon full of the raspberries on top of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the crust. 

{6} Fold the edges of the crust up and over the raspberries, overlapping and pressing together as needed to hold in place and leaving the center open

{7} Brush the crust (and over the raspberries if you want) with the melted butter.  I also sprinkled just a little more sugar over the melted butter, but that's completely optional.

{8} Bake at 425 degrees for about 15-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cooked through. {see picture at the start of the recipe}

*I suggest letting these cool well before you try to eat them..... the berries get super juicy in the oven and the juices firm back up a bit as they cool, so unless you want to both make a mess and loose a bit of the berry flavor, a little patience here pays off


Hope you enjoy these! As you can see this basic idea can be used for lots of different fruits for all sorts of yumminess!

I have some other berry related experiments I'm just now finishing up that I'm hoping to get posted tomorrow, and a craft/sewing project sometime soon as well, so check back!