Sweet Recipes for Spring

There's so many ways to enjoy sweet flavors from the Blackberry Farmstead, especially as the days grow longer and seasonal celebrations draw closer. Below, we're sharing three tasty recipes to serve as the perfect additions to your Spring dessert menus!

Jam Drop Cookies
Makes: 24-30 cookies

Featuring: Blackberry Farm Jams and Fruit Butters

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling cookies in
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Blackberry Farm Jams and Fruit Butters (you will need about 1 cup total)

To make:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix well.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in several batches, mixing only a little between additions. Scrape down the sides a couple of times and mix just until the ingredients are incorporated together.
5. Pour about ¼ cup of granulated sugar out into a bowl or plate. Roll the cooking dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the sugar and place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
6. Using your thumb or the back of a small measuring spoon, press an indentation into each cookie.
7. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are set (they will turn very brown). If the indentation has disappeared (sometimes this happens), you can use the back of your spoon to create another one if you work quickly to press into the cookies just after you have removed them from the oven and they are still soft.
8. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Once the cookies have cooled, spoon in a dollop of jam or fruit butter into the indention in the top of the cookie. Store in a covered container until ready to serve.

Honey Cake
Makes: 1 (8-inch) cake (about 8-12 servings)

Featuring: Blackberry Farm Honey

Cake:

• 12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup Blackberry Farm Honey
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 5 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:

• 2 ¼ cups heavy cream
• ¾ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make:

1. Combine butter, honey, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda. Let cool 10 minutes.
2. Lightly beat eggs, and gradually whisk them into the warm honey mixture. Stir in vanilla and flour until a stiff dough forms. Cover dough and chill 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough into 9 even sections (a kitchen scale is helpful for this). Working one at a time, roll each dough portion on a floured surface to a 9-inch circle; use an 8-inch round cake pan or plate as guide to cut into an 8-inch circle, reserving scraps. (Alternatively, if you have multiple 8-inch round cake pans, you can press the dough evenly into the cake pan instead of rolling the dough out and cutting it.) Place dough rounds on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Dock dough rounds all over with a fork.
4. Bake dough rounds, in batches, until slightly puffed, dry to the touch, and slightly darker on the edges, 5-8 minutes. They should still be soft. Transfer baked rounds onto a wire rack to cool. Repeat process until all 9 dough rounds are baked.
5. If you have any reserved dough scraps, bake them until dry and crisp, about 5-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
6. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream, yogurt, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
7. Place one cake round on a plate or cake platter. Spread about 1/2 cup of the frosting in an even layer on top of the cake round. Repeat process with all cake layers and frosting. Use remaining frosting to spread on the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate overnight. (The cake must sit in the refrigerator overnight to soften and achieve its fluffy texture.)
8. If you saved the dough scraps, crush them in a large Ziploc bag with a rolling pin, or use a food processor, to make fine crumbs. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the crumbs. Serve. 

Peanut Butter Pie
Makes: 8-10 servings

Featuring: Blackberry Farm Peanut Butter

 Crust:

• 25 Oreos (10 ounces)
• 5 Tablespoons salted butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup Blackberry Farm Peanut Butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish:

• Chocolate curls 

To make:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Process Oreos in food processor until finely crushed. Combine in a bowl with melted butter, and stir with a fork to combine.
3. Press into a bottom and up the sides of 9-inch pie plate lined with parchment. Bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool. (Note: To make this no-bake, skip baking the crust and place in freezer while preparing the filling.)
4. Beat heavy cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks. Transfer to a bowl and chill while preparing the rest of the filling.
5. Beat peanut butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until light and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Beat in about 1/4 of the whipped cream, then fold in remaining whipped cream in two to three additions.
6. Spoon into crust, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Pie can also be frozen and enjoyed that way.