Desserts with Raspberry and How the Berry Turned from One Colour to Another Overnight!
You may recognize desserts with raspberry from their characteristic pink-red colour, or their sweet and slightly sour taste. Although their hue causes us to confuse them with strawberry fillings sometimes, the berry’s alleged original color is anything but common… Maybe you know some of the raspberry desserts out there, but today, you might find out one or two very peculiar things about the fruit!
Raspberry and pistachio croissant (Nadège Pâtisserie)
The Raspberry: A Fruit with an Atypical Story
First thing to know about raspberries is that they are actually roses. Yes, you read that right! So are peaches, strawberries, cherries, and even apples and almonds. The botanical rose family’s house is certainly a full one! It comprises so many food species that biologist Bradley C. Bennett at Florida International University identified the rose family as one of the six most important groups of food plants worldwide.
This is due in large part to the rose family’s reproductive processes, which have many pathways. These processes include pollination as well as apomictic reproduction, which produces seeds without pollination! The variety of processes leads to raspberries that are sometimes genetically different.
Raspberry and chocolate cake (Bunner’s)
Now, you may think these genetic differences are behind the variations in colour of the berry… and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. But as far as colour changes, there may be another story that explains this.
The raspberry’s tale, which comes from Greek mythology, tells the story of Zeus, whose mother hid him in Crete. She feared that Cronus, his father, would eat him alive. Zeus was nursed by the nymph Ida, who was the daughter of the King of Crete. One day, as Zeus was crying, she went to harvest some raspberries to give him, in hopes that it would stop his crying.
Ida feared that Zeus’ cries would alert her father of the hidden baby’s presence! Legend has it that while picking the berries, a branch or a thorn scratched her breast. Her bleeding is said to have stained the berry, turning it from white to pink. Maybe that explains why raspberries and white chocolate go so well together… Although if we’re being honest, raspberries and all chocolate make a great pairing!
Raspberry rhubarb pie (Savary Island Pie Company)
Desserts with Raspberry: All Star Pairings
Now, how about other raspberry pairings – like in raspberry pastries and pies? We can hardly mention raspberry desserts without thinking of raspberry pie! An all time favourite for many people is the raspberry rhubarb pie. Pictured and linked to above for your convenience, this pie features a flaky crust and ruby-coloured raspberry rhubarb filling for the perfect sweet and tart combination.
Maybe you remember our post on the strawberry rhubarb pie? Another great pairing, strawberry and rhubarb balance out sweet and tart tastes. However, if you are a true sour flavour fan, raspberry rhubarb pie might please your taste buds more. The juicy sour filling will cut through the flaky and buttery taste of the crust and bring you an original taste experience. Since the rhubarb plant is also naturally tart, this pie packs quite a punch!
Sour raspberry crumble cupcake (Layers)
Another great couple in the world of desserts is berries and cream! You may know of this dessert’s cousin, strawberries and cream, but have you tried a creamy raspberry cupcake? Essentially a raspberry crumble concentrated into a cup-sized cake, this dessert consists of a vanilla cake filled with a sour raspberry compote. While this would be delicious on its own, there’s more: it is also topped with raspberry buttercream. Finally, the bakers roll this cupcake in a mix of raspberry oat crumble. Yum!
Fun fact in the realm of cream and berries: a dessert consisting of a mixture of raspberries and whipped cream goes by the name of “raspberry fool”! Since raspberries and cream go so well together, we have another dessert to add to your list: a raspberry cheesecake parfait. The base consists of cream cheese and heavy cream and the bottom is graham cracker crumbs.The layers are made with fresh raspberries and raspberry jam with some lime juice. This one is a quick no bake dessert, so making it will be a breeze in the kitchen!
Raspberry cheesecake parfait (Kippi at Home)
If your heart calls for more desserts with raspberry, there’s always the raspberry bombe, raspberry lemonade bars, or a raspberry crisp! Whichever dessert you pick, the sweet tartness of today’s star fruit is sure to brighten up your day. And should you want to bite in your own dessert, head here for raspberry desserts near you.
