BERRIES IN CREME de CASSIS

This beautiful black currant liqueur, Creme de Cassis de Dijon, is made in Burgundy by the Briottet Company. This company was founded in 1836 and is run by the Briottet family in the town of Dijon, France. The rich liquor is made from macerated, real fruit grown only in the commune de Dijon. As soon as the black currants are ripe , they are picked and immersed in alcohol where they macerate for 3 months. Sugar is then added and a rich beautiful liqueur is developed.

White wine may be added to Creme de Cassis to create the famous French cocktail, Kir. Though a delightful drink in itself, I love adding a few tablespoons of the liqueur and a tablespoon of sugar to my fresh tart blackberry & sweet blueberry mix. I let the fruit sit overnight in the fridge.

Just before serving, I top with fresh whipped cream. Then I add a few chocolate shavings, and just a touch of our Vietnamese Cinnamon over the whipped cream. This makes for a wonderful dessert to share with any guest. Creme de Cassis is also wonderful over melons, poached pears, pound or angel food cake. It is even used in creating rich berry sauces for game bird, pork, and chicken dishes. And of course dont forget to add to champaign with a few fresh berries for a refreshing drink!

I encourage you to experiment with the depth of this liquor, and let us know what wonderful taste you come up with!

P.S.

Did you know that black currents were banned from the United States from 1911 to 2003? It was thought that the black currant bush was responsible for the white pine disease that swept through Europe and the United States, though there is some thought that it was not the cause at all. Upper state New York is now producing black currants for sale. This is one site that has black currants available. http://www.currantc.com/

Copyright: Tay Stratton, Fennel and Fire