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This elegant, simple and delightfully unique Irish Blackberry Soup with Buttermilk Custard is a delicious sweet treat that will thrill dessert lovers of all ages!
This Irish Blackberry Soup with Buttermilk Custard is not only very visually appealing, but it's also so delicious that I've placed it on my top ten favorite desserts list! The sweet, tart, silky sauce pairs magically with the tangy, creamy custard. And though it's a wonderful way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I have a feeling that I'll be celebrating lots of other special occasions with this fabulous dessert!
Did you know that brambly, blackberry bushes grow wild all over Ireland? In the springtime their lovely snow-white flowers dot the countryside, the long rambling stems climbing over stone walls and hedgerows, making friends with flocks of wooly sheep and unending fields of vibrant Irish Bluebells. They line narrow ribbons of peaceful country lanes and appear, as if from nowhere, in the clefts of barren rocks making up the magnificent soaring cliffs that cascade dramatically to rugged, Emerald Isle shorelines.
In early autumn the berries make their grand entrance, just as Irish children are heading back to school, making delightful snacks for carefree walks home. Of course, the crimson stains covering their tongues, lips and fingertips give silent witness to their clandestine epicurean adventures. They're quite oblivious to the fact that the deliciously sweet blackberries they're sneaking are one of the healthiest snacks on the planet, with amazingly high levels of antioxidants.
Because of their vast abundance, blackberries are served in myriads of ways all over Ireland - from tiny thatched roofed bungalows and quaint vine-covered country pubs to grand gourmet restaurants and fine, fancy hotels. They're creatively transformed into tarts, jams, jellies, chutneys, sauces, crumbles, compotes, cobblers and SOUPS!
Soups? Yes, dessert soups. If you've never tried dessert soups, you've been missing out on something very special, unique and fun.
This recipe is adapted from Irish Pubs Cooking, a favorite cookbook I love to pull out in March to herald the celebration of St. Patricks Day. It's full of delicious, savory appetizers, salads and main entries, but the desserts are simply stunning! I've been staring at this Blackberry Soup with Buttermilk Custard for several years now, and since I've been finding plump, sweet-as-sugar blackberries at my market lately, I decided it just couldn't wait any longer.
This elegant, simple and delightfully unique Irish Blackberry Soup with Buttermilk Custard is a delicious sweet treat that will thrill dessert lovers of all ages!
- For the Buttermilk Custard:
- 1 package unflavored gelatin
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- For the Blackberry Soup:
- 1 pound blackberries about 3 half pint size boxes
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice from one large, juicy orange
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from l lemon
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons blackberry or raspberry liqueur
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
-
For the Buttermilk Custard, put the unflavored gelatin in a medium microwave safe bowl, add the cold water and stir to combine. Place bowl in microwave and cook for 20 seconds or until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear. Set aside.
-
Meanwhile, heat the buttermilk and heavy cream together in another medium microwave safe bowl. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Cook on high for 2 minutes and stir well.
-
Add gelatin to the hot buttermilk mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Pour through a fine strainer and fill four to eight small, individual molds*. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for several hours until set.
-
For the Blackberry Soup, put the blackberries, zest, orange and lemon juices in a large pot on the stove. Add the sugar and stir. Simmer very gently for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool. Once the mixture has cooled, transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour through a fine strainer, stir in the liqueur. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
-
When ready to serve, run a thin, sharp knife around edges of custard containers. Place custards, one at a time into a shallow bowl containing about 1 inch of hot water. Allow container to sit in hot water for 10-15 seconds, then invert onto a shallow serving bowl. Holding container firmly in place, give it a vigorous up and down shake to loosen custard. Repeat several times if needed till custard is released onto plate. Spoon the Blackberry Soup all around and garnish with a single blackberry and a mint leave, if desired.
*Serves 4-8, depending on the size of the custard molds. I used about ½ cup per mold and got 6 servings
WhileChasingKids says
Gorgeous!
Ginny says
I have never ever seen such a thing!!! Nor did I know about Ireland and the berries. But this is fabulously fancy and beautiful!!
Wendy says
This beautiful custard and soup sound creamy and refreshing. I can imagine the oh and ahs when this is brought out for dessert. This is truly drool-worthy. 🙂 Waiting for the baby must be both exciting and stressful. Wish you all peace and happiness.
Valerie says
Oh, to be in Ireland... 🙂
Chris, this soup is absolutely dreamy!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I love the contrast of the dark berry soup with the whiteness of the custard.
twodogsinthekitchen says
I have a ton of blackberries bushes. Come fall the dogs and I are picking them for breakfast daily 🙂 I love this soup idea 🙂 Sorry, I have not been around. I was computer-less but, now have a new one!
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
These are simply beautiful (fantastic photos) and sound SOOO delicious! what a lovely way to serve "soup" - yum!
Mary x
Pam says
Wow! It looks seriously amazing. Great photos!
Ms Lemon of Make Mine Lemon says
This looks magazine worthy. I have a fondness for blackberries. My Dad used to take us "picking" when we were little. We would come home full of berries and chiggers. Mom would make jelly and cobbler. I think I would like this - no chiggers.
www.you-made-that.com says
I love this dessert and blackberries are a favorite of mine,maybe from my Irish roots :). Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Marigene says
Looks and sounds delicious. Your photography and presentation are extraordinary...you should be a food stylist!
Laura Dembowski says
I love dessert soups and blackberries! I had no idea blackberries were so plentiful in Ireland. I would so love this dessert. It seems like a great reminder that summer is right around the corner!
Erin D. says
Oh I love this! So much more than the dyed green stuff you normally see for St. Patrick's Day. Not saying I don't like that stuff, it's just that I prefer this. 😉
It looks amazing! I had no idea that blackberry bushes grow wild over Ireland. Lucky people!
Martha says
Oh my word! It's gorgeous!! And now , because of your description, I want to go to Ireland!
Tricia Buice says
I was looking at a recipe like this last night in my Irish Pub Cookbook. You did a beautiful job and the presentation is fantastic. My grandson was a week late - oh the anticipation! Thinking of you this weekend 🙂
Susan says
This looks beautiful! I always enjoy your descriptive stories that go along with the recipes. Just love the dark red/purple color and the creamy white together. Oh baby....we are all waiting for the arrival.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love blackberries, your custard is so beautifully presented!
blueberrykitchen says
What a gorgeous looking dessert! I've never tried a sweet soup before, but I totally love the sound of this!
Happier Than a Pig in Mud says
Truly a spectacular presentation! Not doubt this was amazing:@)
Jennifer@ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
What a gorgeous and elegant dessert!! It's just beautiful, I can only imagine how wonderful it tastes! Have a wonderful weekend!!
Sue/the view from great island says
That last shot is to die for! I've never heard of this and I love it!
Angie's Recipes says
I always thought a custard has to be prepared with eggs...good to know gelatin works just great too.
Angie's Recipes says
What a stunning beauty! The custard looks particularly tempting floating on the blackberry soup. Love the colour contrast.
scrambledhenfruit says
Gorgeous! I love the color of blackberries and this soup really shows it off. I have a stash of them in my freezer still- lucky me! 😉
kristinwithani says
This looks so yummy!
Have you been to Trali in Raleigh? I was transported back to pubs in Ireland. Their food is delicious and atmosphere spot on.
The Café Sucré Farine says
Kristin, that might be just the place for us to meet for lunch! Sounds wonderful!