Our neighbors gave us 2 tubs full of red currants. My mom and I were still on a baking high after making a tarte au citron so we eagerly starting researching currant recipes. Honestly, there isn't much out there other than jam but we did find a currant mini cake recipe and one for currant muffins. We made both.
I was most interested in the mini cake (Petits gâteaux aux groseilles) recipe so we made that first. It used almond flour and egg whites with a handful of currants thrown on top before baking. The cake part was delicious - moist with a light almond flavor. My mom said the cakes would be great with any berry other than currants. They were just too bitter and sour. I actually thought the berries were okay. The cakes are a snap to make. I used ramekins for the pans.
The muffins were easy as well. Guess what my mom said about them. . . would be great with any berry other than currants. The muffins used more currants than the mini cakes so the tart, bitterness was much more noticeable and, yes, unpleasant.
Final verdict: Currants are good for jam. And creme de cassis. And for garnish. That is about it.
What's cooking in your kitchen these days?
Final verdict: Currants are good for jam. And creme de cassis. And for garnish. That is about it.
What's cooking in your kitchen these days?
9 comments:
I like to put a handful of red currants in a "Bierchermuesli" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birchermuesli or you could also cook them with some sugar (by far not as much as you take when you make jam) and pour it over vanilla ice cream :-)
In Germany, they eat a desssert called Rote Gruetze, which is sort of a red fruit pudding, and it can be served with a vanilla sauce. They use a mixture of berries, including currents (Johannisbeere) and is really refreshing. It might be more to your mother's liking.
Or on a pavlova. (google it) I also once had a cake that was kinda like a pavlova in that it was whipped eggwhite, but the berries were in the foamy eggwhite and it wasn't baked until hard but still soft and foamy. OMG! I still sometimes dream of that cake!
In Germany, you see the currents served with just a bowl of yogurt as a dessert. However, your mini cakes look yummy. To bad the muffins were to bitter.
I don;t know, why all those germans, or people at least familiar with the use of currants in german baking and desserts stumbled over this post, but I have something to add, too.. I am originally from germany and my probably most favourite cake or pie is one made with red currants! it's usually made with shortcrust pastry, then currants, sugar (probably lots of it.. ) and often covered with an eggwhite topping - similar to the idea of the pavlova, someone else mentioned.. they are on the sour side, and there are a lot of them, but it's delicious.. often the currants are mixed with grounded nuts (almond, hazelnut, as well as some of the beaten eggwhite and confectioner's sugar!) .. since the shortcust pastry doesn't usually have to be very sweet, it's a really nice combination!! it's one of those things I always eat, when I come back here.. (you can google images of it under 'johannisbeerkuchen')
I buy frozen berry mix here (australia)and it seems to have red currants in it. We make milkshakes/smoothies etc. Maybe the currants need to be mixed with other berries and would be great on other desserts. We put these frozen berries on meringue nests with whipped cream (kinda like the pavlova mentioned)
Hi Katy,
Just today David Lebovitz posted on currants. HAve you seen it? Thanks, BTW, for introducing me to him :)
D
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/06/red-currant-jam-recipe/
Thanks Katrin. I've heard Birchermuesli is really good. I'd like to try it sometime. Ice cream sauce is a good idea.
Kathi - the French use fruit rouge in many things - yogurt, tiramisu, sauces. It is usually a combination of strawberry, raspberry and red currant.
nicole - I think using currants with other red berries is the way to go. Just enough for interest but not enough to make it bitter or yucky.
likeschocolate - sounds good if the yogurt was a sweet one, like vanilla or something.
Nic Riess- That cake sounds interesting.
Thisgirl - got to try a pavlova, heard too much about them!
Dana - I did see it! His pictures were amazing. I like how he pairs them together. Something I'd like to try. The jam looked amazing, not bitter and yucky at all !!
Sugar on currants will certainly make a difference, but
to defend myself, I must say that I did eat several
muffins and cakes and enjoyed them. Katy's mom
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