Toasted oats, crushed raspberries, honey-sweetened cream, and a kiss of whisky come together in this Cranachan-a traditional Scottish dessert that celebrates the simplicity of summer.

Long before parfaits and trifles made their way to modern tables, there wa Cranachan-a traditional Scottish dessert made with billowy cream, honey, raspberries, whisky, and oats.

The original dish was a farmhouse staple. And, instead of whipped cream, it included crowdie cheese. Difficult to find outside of Scotland, crowdie cheese is like a cross between skyr, mascarpone, and cream cheese. A sort of soft, mild cow's milk cheese.

This practical farmhouse fare evolved into a celebratory sweet, with the fresh whipped cream replacing cheese, honey for sweetness, and a splash of whisky added for warmth.

Whipped cream offers richness, honey provides floral depth, and just a hint of whisky lends warmth and complexity. Toasting the oats brings out their nuttiness, while the raspberries-crushed and barely sweetened-supply a fruit-forward brightness.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Old-fashioned rolled oats give the dessert a toasty warmth and a little texture. After toasting, you fold them into the whipped cream.

Fresh raspberries bring a tart brightness that balances the richness of heavy cream. If you don't have raspberries, you can swap in blackberries, currants, or other summer berries.

Honey lends floral sweetness and depth. Choose a runny honey so it blends easily with the raspberries. Heather honey is traditional, but a wildflower or blackberry honey works well, too.

Heavy cream whipped into soft, billowy peaks lends richness and lightness. For a dairy-free twist, use chilled coconut cream.

Whisky brings warmth and depth. Omit for a kid-friendly version or swap in a little almond or vanilla extract.

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Cranachan Recipe

This simple, no-cook dessert is best made with the ripest summer raspberries, local honey, and freshly toasted oats. A touch of whisky brings depth, but you swap in a little almond extract for a family-friendly version. This is a dish you'll want to eat all of the night you make it as leftovers don't store well.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Scottish

Keyword berries, cream, oats, whiskey

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups fresh raspberries
• 2 tablespoons runny honey (plus more to serve)
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whisky (optional)

Instructions

• Warm a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the oats and toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a separate bowl, mash the raspberries with honey until they just begin to lose their form, then set them aside.
• Then, pour the cream and whisky into a bowl, and beat until soft peaks form. Fold in the toasted oats, reserving a tablespoon for decoration.
• To assemble, layer the cream and raspberries into individual glasses, then top with oats. Serve right away.

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This berry cobbler is brimming with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, all sweet and sunk beneath a whole grain oat crust. It's a breeze to make, and you can use frozen berries when fresh summer berries are unavailable.

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Berry Cobbler Recipe

The mix of berries topped with an oaten biscuit, makes for a lovely dessert or breakfast - especially when topped with homemade yogurt or kefir. This recipe is republished from The Homemade Flour Cookbook (Fairwinds Press) by Erin Alderson.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword berries

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 463kcal

Author Jenny

Ingredients

For the Filling

• 6 cups mixed berries (such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries)
• ½ cup Grade A dark maple syrup
• ¼ cup unrefined cane sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Topping

• 2 cups oat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup cold salted butter (cut into pieces)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 tablespoons dark maple syrup

Instructions

• To make the filling, combine the berries, maple syrup, sugar and cinnamon in a pot and bring to a boil, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes as the berries expel their juice. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, water and lemon juice until smooth. Pour into the boiling berry mixture and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken. Pour into a 9-inch round baking dish.
• To make the topping, combine the oat flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter, until the dough is in pea-sized pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and maple syrup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms.
• Break off golf ball=size pieces of the dough, lightly pat into a circle and place over the berries. Continue with the remaining dough. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden.

Nutrition

Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 526mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 449IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 2mg

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When late summer's fresh plums are abundant and ripe, make this plum clafoutis recipe. It's a charming, simple dessert of juicy plums nestled in a custard-like batter spiked with brandy. It's also easy to make and will be a fast favorite in your household.

What is a clafoutis?

A clafoutis is a fruit dish from the Limousin region of France that's traditionally made with fresh cherries. You nestle fresh fruit in an eggy, custard-like batter and let it bake. The result is a sweet, delicate, classic French dessert that's similar to both Dutch baby pancakes and another French classic - flaugnarde.

For this version, we skip the cherries and use sweet plums instead, making a soft and custard-like plum cake that's delicate and delicious. The end result is a simple plum dessert that's softly sweet and vibrant with the bright flavor of summer. 

Ingredient Notes

• Plums give the clafoutis its heart and its flavor. Choose ripe but firm plums for this dish. Underripe plums will lack flavor, and soft plums will become a puddle of juice once you bake them.
• Eggs give the cake both structure and its custard-like consistency. Pasture-raised eggs will contribute the most flavor and nutrition.
• Whole milk forms the liquid portion of the recipe. For a more luxurious and richer version of the dish, you can substitute half-and-half for the whole milk.
• Sugar lends a little sweetness to the dessert. We favor a minimally processed whole cane sugar, such as rapadura, for this recipe. Minimally processed sugars retain many of their minerals and have a richer flavor than white, granulated sugar.
• Flour binds the eggs and milk together as they bake, giving the clafoutis its cake-like appearance. Einkorn flour works particularly well in clafoutis because it has a rich flavor and soft texture, but all-purpose flour is fine, too.
• Brandy amplifies the flavor of the plums and gives the clafoutis an elusive complex note. You can also swap in other flavorings, such as vanilla, almond extract, or a little noyaux, 
• Salt balances the sweetness of the dish. It also perks up the flavor of the plums.

Recipe Tips

• Butter the dish well to prevent sticking.  Clafoutis are notorious for sticking to the pan, and a little bit of butter goes a long way.
• Use a high-speed blender or food processor to make the batter. It's a lot faster than whisking the ingredients together by hand, and you'll form a more consistent and uniform batter.
• Your batter should have the consistency of heavy cream or pancake batter.
• Choose firm (but ripe) plums. They need to have plenty of sweetness and good flavor but shouldn't be too soft.
• Slice the plums in half and arrange them cut-side up in the baking pan.  Their juices will collect in the fruit's cavity where you removed the pit and will result in less seepage into the custard batter. Your clafoutis will also be less likely to curdle.
• Bake the clafoutis until it's golden brown and slightly puffed. It should still tremble ever so slightly in the center when you jostle the baking dish, similar to a custard.
• Many clafoutis recipes call for cooking a little batter in the base of the pan before adding the fruit. It's a helpful technique when working with smaller fruits such as berries or cherries, and we even call for the technique in this blueberry clafoutis recipe. But, when you work with large fruit, such as halved plums, you can skip this step as they are too big to sink to the bottom of the pan the way smaller fruit does.

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Plum Clafoutis Recipe

In late summer, when the farmer's markets are brimming with fresh seasonal fruit, save a few extra plums for this delicious clafoutis. Like a cross between custard and plum cake, this clafoutis makes for a delicious, easy summer dessert.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 127kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• 1 ½ Quart Baking Dish
• High-Speed Blender

Ingredients

• butter (for the pan)
• 5 plums (halved and pitted)
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup unrefined cane sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose einkorn flour
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• confectioner's sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 350 F, and then butter a baking dish.
• Combine the milk, eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and brandy together in a high-speed blender or food processor, and purée until it forms a smooth light batter.
• Arrange the plum halves in the buttered dish in a single layer. Then, pour the batter over the plums and transfer the dish to the oven. Bake the clafoutis until it's a deep golden brown, and the center wobbles very slightly when you adjust the pan - about 40 minutes.
• Allow the clafoutis to cool for a few minutes, and then dust it with confectioner's sugar. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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Peach butter lines a full and very wide and deep shelf in my cupboard where it will sit all tucked away and half-forgotten until January arrives and, in that coldest and whitest month, we finally remember it's there.  

We want for something that reminds us of summer, and that's when we'll stumble upon the jars nestled in the cupboard: peach butter - like a breath of summer in one teaspoonful spread with real butter over a slice of no-knead sourdough bread.

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Peach Butter

Peach butter is simple to prepare and wonderfully rich in flavor thanks to the addition of spices like allspice, ginger and cloves.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 pints

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 15 pounds peaches (pitted and quartered)
• 3 tablespoons ground ceylon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

• Working in batches, toss the peaches in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.
• Pour peach puree into a heavy-bottomed stock pot, and stir in spices. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 60 minutes or until thickened into a fine paste.
• Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, pour into pint-sized mason jars and refrigerate or can using the water bath method.

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Bright with the flavors of berries and stonefruit, Old Bachelor's Jam is like summer in a bottle. This old-world, fruit-infused liqueur is one of the easiest recipes you can make. When the cold of winter sets in, opening up a bottle of this sweet, fruity liqueur brings back all the memories and flavors of summer.

What is it?

Bachelor's jam is an old-world liqueur made by soaking summer fruit in brandy and sugar. As cherries, berries, peaches, and plums steep in the brandy over several months, they infuse the brandy with their flavor. The result is a sweet, fruit-forward liqueur that's equally delicious served on the rocks as it is spooned over ice cream.

More a technique than a recipe, bachelor's jam is rooted in old French food preservation. In France, the drink is known as Liqueur de View Garçon. Before the advent of refrigeration, people relied on other food preservation techniques that don't require cold temperatures.

Think about how you might use salt to ferment vegetables, sugar to make jam, or vinegar to make pickles. One popular method was to soak the fruit in hard alcohol, such as brandy, vodka, or rum.

It's how thrifty cooks made classics such as brandied cherries and noyaux. And bachelor's jam is just a riff on that same concept.

What's in it?

Bachelor's jam contains three basic ingredients: fruit, sugar, and hard alcohol. You can use just about any summer fruit you like. Berries and stonefruit are particularly good options, and some of the best jam is made by adding fruit to the pot as it comes into season.

• Summer fruit is the heart of Bachelor's Jam. Add fruit to your crock as it comes into season - strawberries in early summer. Cherries and apricots come next followed by peaches, plums, blackberries, and other fruits of late summer.
• Brandy is the hard liquor added to most recipes. It offers a sweet, apple-like flavor that works well with fruit. You can also use other hard liquors as it suits you and both vodka and rum often make an appearance in similar recipes.
• Sugar sweetens the liqueur and also helps to preserve the fruit for long-term storage. Cane sugar is traditionally used, but you can use palm sugar, maple syrup, or even honey if you prefer.

Tips for Making Bachelor's Jam

Making Bachelor's Jam is effortless. The idea behind the recipe is that it's so easy that an old bachelor (presumably with little kitchen skill) would have no trouble making it.

You begin by layering fresh fruit with sugar and then covering it with brandy. As summer would wear on, you'd add new layers of fruit, sugar, and brandy. Letting the fruit infuse into the sugar-sweetened brandy over several months gives the liqueur the best flavor, and the drink often wasn't opened again until winter set in.

To make Bachelor's Jam requires an element of flexibility. You use what's in season and keep the pot going until winter. While it's one of the easiest liqueurs you can make at home, there are a few tips you'll want to keep in mind.

• Embrace flexibility. As long as your fruit is submerged in enough vodka or brandy, it should keep fine. So keep a little room in your jar to add a few new pieces of fruit as they come into season.
• Use ripe, good-tasting fruit. Your liqueur will only taste as good as what you put into it. So use ripe, sweet, flavorful fruit. Use fruit free from soft spots, and avoid fruit that teeters toward over-ripe or spoiled.
• If the fruit floats to the surface, consider weighing it down with glass fermentation weights so that it stays submerged in the alcohol.
• Use a non-reactive lid when sealing the jar. Metal lids may corrode when exposed to alcohol, so use a plastic or other non-reactive lid. If you only have metal lids, line them with a square of wax paper to prevent corrosion.
• Have patience. While you can technically serve the drink just about anytime, wait at least 3 months before trying it for the best flavor. Traditionally, the crock was often opened and the liqueur was shared around Christmastime.

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Bachelor's Jam Recipe

Originally, Bachelor's Jam was made in huge quantities and added to throughout the summer season. For this scaled-down version, you can make it all at once and tuck it in the cupboard until winter. This recipe makes about a quart, which is usually sufficient for most families, but you can easily double or triple the recipe if you wish to make more or share it with friends.

Course Beverage

Cuisine French

Keyword fruit

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Infusion 90 days days

Total Time 90 days days 5 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings (1 quart)

Calories 74kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• 1 Quart-sized Jar
• Glass Weights
• Nonreactive Lid

Ingredients

• ¾ pound mixed summer fruit (berries, cherries, peaches, plums, etc.)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup brandy (plus additional, if needed)

Instructions

• Remove the pits from any stone fruit, and chop large fruits into bite-sized pieces. Berries should be firm, and you can leave them whole. 
• Arrange the prepared fruit in the bottom of a quart-sized jar, and then sprinkle the sugar over it.  Pour in the brandy, adding more brandy to submerge the fruit by 1 inch if necessary.  If your fruit floats to the surface of the jar, weigh the it down with a small saucer or glass weight, and seal the jar with a nonreactive lid. 
• Transfer the jam to a cupboard and keep away from light and heat for at least 3 months. Store in a dark cupboard at room temperature for up to 1 year.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Try these fruity summer drinks next

Recipe Questions

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When strawberries are at their peak-ruby red, sun-warmed, and collapsing with juice-they hardly need embellishment. But a slow roast with a drizzle of honey coaxes out their hidden depths: jammy, rich, and heady with summer.

I like to add a whisper of lemon zest here. It complements the berries' brightness, adding a lift that feels just right for early summer. Spoon the berries over a yogurt or ice cream, or eat them fresh from the jar. It's a favorite in our house.

There's something deeply satisfying about roasting fruit-it's slow, simple, and always a little magical. Heat transforms even the humblest berries into something lush and syrupy, coaxing out their sweetness and concentrating their flavor. It's a method that rewards patience and makes the most of seasonal abundance.

Roasting works its quiet magic on all sorts of fruit, not just strawberries - I'm partial to roasted grapes. It's a simple technique that deepens flavor and brings out the natural sweetness in even the most modest harvest.

Ingredients + Substitutes

Strawberries: Choose the ripest berries you can find-local and in-season are best. If strawberries are out of season, try substituting raspberries or halved figs.

Honey: Runny honey works best here, adding floral sweetness and helping the fruit caramelize. Maple syrup or a touch of coconut nectar can stand in, though the flavor will shift slightly.

Olive Oil: A fruity extra virgin olive oil enriches the strawberries and balances their acidity. For a more neutral flavor, swap with avocado oil or melted ghee.

Lemon Zest: Adds brightness and an aromatic lift. You can substitute orange zest or a little ground coriander.

Sea Salt: Just a pinch sharpens all the flavors. If using a coarser salt, crush it lightly so it distributes more evenly.

How to Roast Strawberries

Start by rinsing the berries and trimming off their green caps. There's no need to fuss over pale centers-roasting brings out the best in every bit. Leave smaller berries whole, and halve the larger ones for even cooking.

Toss the fruit with honey, olive oil, a touch of lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. If you have a spent vanilla pod or a sprig of lemon balm, tuck it in for just a little burst of extra flavor.

Roast the berries on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350°F until their juices run thick and the edges begin to darken-about 25 minutes, but peek early to avoid overcooking. Give them a good stir about half-way through to promote even cooking.

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Honey-Roasted Strawberry Recipe

When strawberries are at their peak-ruby red, sun-warmed, and collapsing with juice-they hardly need embellishment. But a slow roast with a drizzle of honey coaxes out their hidden depths: jammy, rich, and heady with summer.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword citrus, fruit, honey, lemon, strawberries

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings (about 1 cup)

Author Jenny

Ingredients

• 1 pound ripe strawberries hulled and halved
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• Pinch sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl, gently toss strawberries with honey, lemon zest, and a pinch of sea salt. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, until softened and syrupy.
• Allow the berries to cool to room temperature and serve. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Our Favorite Strawberry Recipes

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Like a cross between custard and cake, this flaugnarde recipe is positively brimming with ripe summer fruit. It makes the perfect effortless summer dessert recipe. You can throw it together in about 30 minutes.

What is a flaugnarde?

A flaugnarde is a baked dessert from France that consists of fruit held together by a lightly sweet, custardy batter. It's related to clafoutis, which typically includes sweet cherries. By contrast, flaugnardes typically feature pears, peaches, or plums. You'll also find recipes for berry flaugnardes as well as those that contain figs.

The result is a thick, custardy pancake brimming with fresh fruit. It's delicious dusted with powdered sugar for dessert or served with maple syrup for breakfast.

What's in it?

The ingredients for flaugnarde are straightforward. You'll need ripe, and ingredients for the batter which consists primarily of eggs and milk. In addition, you can add various flavorings to the batter as you like it. Vanilla is a common addition, but so are liqueurs such as brandy, noyaux, or Armagnac.

• Fruit can be just about anything you like. Stonefruit, pears, and berries are popular choices. Ideally, look for sweet, ripe fruit, but frozen fruit can work, too.
• Eggs give the batter structure and a custard-like texture. They're also rich in protein, and key micronutrients such as choline which supports memory and cognitive health.
• Milk is the liquid portion of the batter, and it contributes a creamy flavor. Its fat and protein content also supports the structure of the dessert. You can use light coconut milk if you prefer a dairy-free option.
• Flour gives the batter structure and helps absorb some of the liquid released by the fruit as it bakes. We like to use einkorn flour in this recipe. Einkorn is an ancient variety of wheat that's rich in both micronutrients and flavor. You can substitute all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour if you prefer.
• Sugar provides sweetness. Whole, minimally processed sugar will lend the most flavor. If you prefer to use an alternative sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup, you may need to adjust the liquid portions of the recipe.

Recipe Tips

With only a few steps, you can make this easy flaugnarde recipe. To make it, you layer the fruit in a baking dish and then mix the ingredients to form a thin batter. Cover the fruit and then bake. Simple.

• Use ripe fruit that is in its prime. It's tempting to hide over-ripe fruit or fruit that's teetering on the edge of being spoiled in recipes like this one. But flaugnarde is fruit-forward and any flaw can spoil your dessert.
• Your batter should be smooth with no lumps or it may spoil the texture of the dessert.
• Watch the flaugnarde closely. It's ready when the center barely trembles when you move the pan.
• Serve the flaugnarde warm the same day you make it. It's delicious dusted with powdered sugar. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Flaugnarde Recipe

For this flaugnarde recipe, a vanilla-scented batter envelops mountains of berries. Serve it warm with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword berries, cream, eggs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 239kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• baking dish

Ingredients

• 2 pound berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc.)
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose einkorn flour (or regular all-purpose flour)
• ½ cup unrefined cane sugar
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• salted butter (for greasing the pan)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 F and grease your baking dish.
• Arrange the berries in your baking dish.
• Whisk the eggs, flour, sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla together to form a smooth batter, and then pour the batter over the fruit. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the center of the custard trembles slightly when you jiggle the pan. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe Questions

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While you can pick up a carton of fruit salad at any grocery store, the best fruit salad is one that you make at home. And, for this red fruit salad, you'll focus on the fruit that everyone seems to love: fresh berries and cherries, and forgo all the rest.

What is it?

As its name implies, this fresh fruit salad is made entirely with red fruit. It can include plums, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants, and other red fruit. These ingredients are often people's favorite fruits, so the salad's always a win - especially when you're feeding guests.

It's a sweet, fresh summer dish that you can serve as both a side dish and a dessert, and it works especially well for potlucks, summer picnics, and Fourth of July barbecues.

What's in it?

A good fruit salad needs a few key ingredients: fruit, acid, and a sweetener. In addition to these key three ingredients, you'll benefit from adding herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of the fruit and chopped nuts, flaked coconut, or another similar ingredient that can give it texture and crunch.

In this red fruit salad, you'll find cherries and berries, toasted almonds, and a vanilla simple syrup.

• Red fruit or "fruits rouges" may refer specifically to berries (especially red berries) in French, feel free to use any red fruit you happen to like. Strawberries and raspberries are a natural choice, but so are cherries, loganberries, red plums, and red-fleshed black plums as well as pomegranate seeds, and black or red grapes.
• Vanilla bean syrup is the source of sweetener. It has a sweet, floral note that marries well with both cherries and berries. You can also use a combination of honey and vanilla extract, too. Or another sweetener that you prefer.
• Red wine vinegar may seem like a curious addition, but most fruit salads need a bit of acid to liven them up and pull all the fruits' flavors together. Lemon or lime juice is a natural choice, but red wine vinegar has acidity as well as a fruity flavor that complements red fruit.
• Toasted almonds bring a bit of crunch to the salad, and a pleasant flavor.

Fruit Salad Tips

Fruit salads are, above all else flexible and easy recipe to make. And this red fruit salad is no exception. As long as you can chop and stir, you can make it, but there are a few tips you'll want to keep in mind.

• Chop your fruit into bite-sized pieces of relatively uniform size. Inconsistently sized pieces can make the salad difficult to serve and difficult to eat.
• Your fruit should be uniformly ripe. Unripe fruit can change the texture and flavor of the salad, so make sure everything you add to your bowl is at the peak of ripeness.
• Add a sweetener, because it helps bring balance to your fruit salad. In this recipe, we use vanilla bean simple syrup, but honey is also a popular choice.
• Cool the vanilla bean simple syrup to room temperature, or it will cook your fruit and cause it to wilt.
• Avoid watermelon. While watermelon is a type of red fruit, it contains a lot of water, which can make your fruit salad weep and collect a significant amount of liquid in the bottom of the pan. We skip it, but if you want to add some, serve the salad right away and don't plan to keep any leftovers.
• Your salad needs a bit of acid, and this can come from citrus juice, but I like to add a little red wine vinegar because its sourness has notes of red fruit, like grapes, and it brings more to the table than lemon juice alone.
• Make the salad yours by adding different red fruit (such as currants or red plums), adjusting the sweetener, or adding herbs and spices that you enjoy. A cardamom-coriander simple syrup works just as well as one made with vanilla.

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Red Fruit Salad Recipe

Vanilla simple syrup gives this easy red fruit salad a little bit of sweetness, while toasted almonds give it depth. You can use just about any fruit you like, but strawberries, cherries, and raspberries work best. Since this recipe only calls for ⅓ cup of the simple syrup, you can store the extra in the fridge to use in other recipes and drinks.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Keyword almonds, berries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, vanilla

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 170kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• Small saucepan
• large bowl

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Simple Syrup

• 1 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 medium vanilla bean

For the Red Fruit Salad

• 1 pound strawberries (hulled and quartered)
• 1 pound cherries (pitted and halved)
• 8 ounces raspberries
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup sliced almonds (toasted)
• ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar

Instructions

Make the simple syrup.

• Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan.
• Split a vanilla bean lengthwise and then scrape its seeds into the sugar and water mixture. Drop in the spent pod, and bring it all to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until all the sugar dissolves, and the syrup is clear - about 3 minutes. Allow the syrup cool to room temperature.
• Pluck out the spent vanilla pod, and reserve ⅓ cup syrup for the salad. Pour the remaining syrup into a mason jar, and seal tightly. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Make the red fruit salad.

• Dump the strawberries, cherries, and raspberries into a medium mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup reserved simple syrup, almond extract, sliced almonds, and red wine vinegar. Stir gently to incorporate all the ingredients without crushing the fragile berries. Serve right away, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

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Recipe Questions

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This strawberry herb shrub is a beautiful blend of sweet berries and calming herbs, sweetened with raw honey. Infused with chamomile, thyme, and schisandra berries, it's a refreshing, slightly tart drink perfect for spring and early summer.

Shrubs are traditional vinegar-based tonics that date back centuries-and this herbal version is as nourishing, flavorful, and colored like rubies. They carry an old-world charm, recalling herbal tonics and ancient kitchen alchemy.

There's something about them that feels both magical and practical. Maybe it's the elixir-like mix of vinegar, fruit, and herbs-or maybe it's just that they require only a few minutes of hands-on time, while the rest happens naturally, with time in the cupboard doing the heavy lifting.

Most of all, they're delicious. This version is one of my favorites. Perfect for early spring, it includes fresh strawberries and plenty of herbs. It riffs off a similar shrub I tucked into my third cookbook, Vibrant Botanicals.

Making a Shrub

Shrubs are traditionally made by infusing fruit and sometimes herbs in vinegar, then sweetening the mixture with honey or sugar. When sweetened with honey, like this one, the shrub also fits the definition of an oxymel-an ancient herbal preparation that combines vinegar and honey. The acid in the vinegar helps preserve the fruit and extract its flavor, while the sweetener balances its intense sourness.

There are two primary methods: the hot method, which cooks the fruit into a syrup before adding vinegar, and the cold infusion method, which steeps raw fruit and herbs in vinegar over time. This recipe uses the cold method-ideal for preserving the delicate aromatics of strawberries and herbs. Even better? It takes less hands-on time. You add fruit and herbs to a jar, cover it with vinegar, and let it sit - a sort of effortless kitchen magic.

After allowing the botanicals to steep in vinegar for about a month, you'll strain the solids and add honey. The result is a ruby-hued syrup that's complex and refreshing.

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Strawberry and Herb Shrub Recipe

A bright, herbaceous drinking vinegar made with strawberries, chamomile, thyme, and honey. This strawberry herb shrub is a springtime tonic-gently restorative, wildly flavorful, and beautifully simple to make.

Course Beverage

Cuisine American

Keyword herbs, strawberries

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Fermentation 30 days days

Total Time 30 days days 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Jenny

Equipment

• Quart-sized Jar
• Fine-mesh Sieve

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups strawberries (hulled and quartered)
• 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons schisandra berries (optional)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup runny honey

Instructions

Preparing the berries and herbs.

• Place the strawberries, chamomile, thyme, and schisandra in a quart-sized jar.

Adding vinegar.

• Pour in the vinegar, seal the jar with a non-reactive lid, and store it away from direct light and heat for one month. Shake the jar daily.

Finishing the shrub.

• After a month, strain the vinegar, discarding the solids. Stir the honey into the infused vinegar. Seal tightly with a non-reactive lid and store in the cupboard away from light and heat for up to 1 year.

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On the hottest summer days, this light salad offers simple, nourishing refreshment. It's a favorite for weekend BBQs and late-summer potlucks.

It's a gift that, during the hottest days of summer, melons are at their peak. Their refreshing qualities soften the blow of summer's heat while also supporting hydration.

While we love to eat huge slices of watermelon as desserts, there's something else I like too: watermelon salad. It's a savory-sweet combo of watermelon, salty feta cheese, chilies, fresh lime, and herbs.

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Watermelon and Feta Salad

Sharp, briny feta partners beautifully with sweet watermelon in this easy summer salad. A little jalapeno adds a pop of heat, while lime and olive oil bring it all together. The salad is best eaten right away, but you can store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword citrus, fruit, herbs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 119kcal

Author Jenny

Equipment

• Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

• 6 cups cubed watermelon
• 2 ounces feta cheese (crumbled)
• 1 medium jalapeño (sliced thin)
• ¼ medium red onion (sliced thin)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 medium lime (juiced)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• fine sea salt (as needed)

Instructions

• Combine the cubed watermelon, crumbled feta, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, and mint in a large mixing bowl. Toss gently to combine.
• Drizzle the salad with lime juice and olive oil. Adjust seasoning with salt and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1015IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg

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