Berry Shrubs
Have you ever heard of shrubs? I hadn’t until about three years ago. Deep in the pandemic we’re ordering takeout and see a “rhubarb shrub” listed on the provisions/DIY cocktail section of the takeout menu, so we grabbed it. It was delicious! Just a tablespoon of that sweet nectar to a glass of sparkling water and it makes the most refreshing sweet drink.
Fast forward to last summer, I start making shrubs at home. We made strawberry hibiscus in the summer and apple cinnamon in the winter. It lasts forever in the back of the fridge because the vinegar acts as a preservative and it’s perfect for having on hand.
So I figured it was about time I get our favorite flavor combinations down in writing. This summer we made:
Strawberry Basil (my favorite)
Raspberry Hibiscus
Strawberry Hibiscus
Raspberry Lavender
I bought myself a shrub book for Christmas last year read all about the history of shrubs. Basically they have been around since biblical times. They are sometimes referred to as “drinking vinegars” and are typically made with fruit, sugar, and vinegar. You can add an aromatic if you want to get creative and play with flavors. All you do is combine the fruit, sugar, and aromatic in a bowl. Cover, stir every couple hours for the first 8 hours so the fruit and sugar macerate. Add vinegar, pop it in the fridge for another two days. Strain it, bottle it, and enjoy!
It is my favorite way to capture summer. The drinks are perfectly sweetened and the vinegar makes them really zippy and refreshing (kind of like kombucha but milder; people who find kombucha to be too much tend to really enjoy shrubs).
And you can totally make them with kids. You literally just stir all of the ingredients together and wait. My kids loved being part of the final straining process. And think that bright pink color is so fun.
Makes two 8-oz jars
1 cup packed berries (washed with stems removed)
3 tablespoons of an aromatic (dried hibiscus flowers*, lavender, mint, basil, etc)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
In a medium bowl stir to combine the berries, aromatic, and sugar. Cover and let sit at room temperature. Stir every 2 hours or so for up to 8 hours. During this stage the sugar will release the fruit’s juices and dissolve.
Transfer everything to a jar (quart mason jars are the perfect size) and transfer to the fridge for the remaining 16 hours.
After the 16 hours add apple cider vinegar to the jar and shake to combine. Refrigerate for another 48 hours (I like to shake the jar once a day or so during this stage.
Pour very hot water into jars and lay them out to dry at room temperature. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and transfer to the bottles.
To serve pour 1-2 tablespoon (or really however much you like based on preferred sweetness) over ice, top with sparking water and stir to combine. Enjoy!
* We got dried hibiscus flowers from my favorite, The Spice House. But for a more accessible option you can also just add the contents of hibiscus tea bags.
Dark Chocolate Berry Swirl Bread
I've been a long time reader of Alexandra Stafford's blog. In fact, we probably cook from it at least once a week. So when her book, Bread Toast Crumbs came out last month, it arrived in my mailbox with not a minute to spare. I've been wanting to be the type of person who bakes my own bread for a while now but unfortunately this whole grad school thing was not allowing that to happen. This cookbook has showed me otherwise. The recipes are simple and fairly quick and make me wonder why it's taken me so long to make homemade bread on a weekly basis because fresh out of the oven it's just such a game changer.
This bread is adapted from one in her book and it teeters on the line of being borderline too decadent. Creamy chocolate ganache with bursting juicy berries swirled together in a barely sweetened loaf that's all too unassuming until you cut it open and BAM - what dreams are made of. My dreams, at least. And somehow it's dairy and egg free. I seriously don't know how that happened but it wasn't hard at all.
Of course you could go ahead and use whole milk in the dough and butter in the ganache, but I've replaced them both with coconut milk to keep that fat content and creaminess factor high. Honestly, you'd never know the difference, plus that subtle coconut smell as you're mixing up the ganache is quite intoxicating.
So maybe make this for your mother on Sunday, maybe make it for yourself and eat the whole thing in 24 hours, maybe bring it to brunch. Either way, food is love, and everyone will love you.
Makes 1 loaf
For the Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour (384 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup boiling water + 1/4 cup room temp water
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
a knob of vegan butter* for greasing the pan
For the Filling:
3.5 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
2 tablespooons powdered sugar
1 scant cup of berries (I used strawberries + raspberries)
Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Whisk to combine. In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk and water (both boiling & room temp). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry followed by the coconut oil. Use a rubber spatula to mix everything until it forms a cohesive dough. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
While the dough is rising make the ganache. Place the chocolate and coconut milk in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate begins to milk, then stir in the powdered sugar. Keep stirring until the chocolate has melted completely. Remove form heat and set aside to cool completely.
Grease a standard 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan generously with vegan butter. Once the dough has risen de-flat it with a fork and transfer it to a heavily floured work surface. With floured hands shape the dough into a ball (it should be very covered in flour at this point) and let sit for 20 minutes uncovered. Gentle shape the dough into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle (using either your hands or a rolling pin). Make sure you have plenty of flour underneath your rectangle so it doesn't stick to the surface. Spread the ganache all over the top of the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch margin on all sides. Top with berries. Roll the bread from short end to short end into a thick 10 inch log, seam side down. Take a deep breath (you've got this!) and transfer it your buttered loaf pan.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, while you let the dough rise for about 10 minutes until it just begins to crown the rim of the pan. Cook the bread for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and firm. Remove from the pan and turn onto its side to cool (I let it rest on 1 side for 10 minutes then the other side for 10 minutes) before cutting into it!