Have you noticed this jar trend gathering steam? Desserts, salads, granola, cookie mixes, lemonade, soup mixes…everything is so cute and organized in jars! You can bring your lunch to work in them, give gifts in them, and keep your dessert all to yourself in them.
In keeping with this trend, I’m excited to be sharing a reveiw of a cookbook full of personal-size deliciousness: 150 Best Desserts in a Jar. This is a totally unique addition to my cookbook collection, full of inspirational ideas and sweet treats.
This particular book is jam-packed with cuteness and creativity – it seems there is almost nothing you can’t make it a jar, from Kiwi & Strawberry Flan to Cold Strawberry Orange Soup to Pear & Almond Crumble. I can’t wait to try the Apple & Orange Cobbler because…apples and oranges?! I did not know these things could be eaten together.
I have a pretty large assortment of random jars, and I think it would be so neat at a party to have a display of jars in all shapes and sizes holding perfect individual servings of dessert. After all, the single-serving aspect is my favourite thing about this jar trend. I am that wife that frowns when my husband suggests we share a dessert at a restaurant. I know I won’t be able to enjoy it at the pace I want while still getting to eat the portion I want. My hubby comes from a family of fast eaters, and dessert seems to get an extra turbo boost. A jar of dessert just for me is right up my alley.
There are a lot of recipes in this book I want to try, but since it’s (kind of?) spring, I just have to share this raspberry cranberry creation, a perfect dessert to welcome spring. With a refreshing combination of sweet and tart, this is definitely not something you’ll want to share, so break out those unused jars hiding in your cupboards, or hit up the thrift store for some “new” ones – once you start making things in jars, it can be hard to stop :)
- 4 8-oz/250mL jars
- 1 1⁄2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 3 tbsp confectioner’s (icing) sugar
- 2 cups frozen cranberries, thawed
- 1⁄2 cup maple syrup (see note)
- 1 1⁄2 cups heavy or whipping (35%) cream
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 cup cranberry juice
- Mint leaves (optional)
- In blender, purée raspberries and confectioner’s sugar. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl and press mixture through. Discard seeds and set raspberry purée aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook cranberries and maple syrup, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, using electric mixer at high speed, whip cream, granulated sugar and vanilla until soft peaks begin to form. Beating constantly, slowly add cranberry juice and half the raspberry purée.
- Spoon remaining raspberry purée into jars, dividing equally. Top with whipped cream mixture, dividing equally. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes.
- When you’re ready to serve, remove jars from refrigerator and top with cooked cranberries. Using a long spoon, mix delicately. Garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.
Excerpted from 150 Best Desserts in a Jar by Andrea Jourdan © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.
Oh my, this is one seriously pretty dessert.
If only I had used Meyer lemons, right? I’ve been loving all your lemon creations lately too!
This looks delicious! I have lots and lots of mason jars going unused. I shall have to dig them out of storage. You wrote ‘see note’ after the maple syrup. I can’t seem to find the note and I am curious about what it says. Am I just missing it?
Oops, good point :) I added it now – just to make sure you use real maple syrup, not an artificially flavoured syrup.
What a beautiful dessert! The cookbook seems wonderful, I can’t wait till you share more creations from it!
Mmm, looks adorable and delicious! The yogis at the studio I work at are all bringing EVERYTHING in jars, from dinners to snacks to smoothies to just their plain ol’ water. Somehow even water looks cooler in a Mason jar. :)