Anne of Green Gables' Raspberry Cordial

I never thought of myself as a blogger.

In fact, I never really thought of myself as someone who writes down the word “I” while actually referring to myself.

No, I’ve always been a fiction lover, and when I put pen to paper - or, you know, fingertips to keyboard- it was to tell someone else’s story.

In a way, this blog is the same.

But let’s get down to business.

Hello! My name is Maureen. In the real world, I am a professional actor, director, and arts educator. I love musicals, Lake Superior, and chasing strangers down the street asking if I can pet their dogs.

But there are two things in life I absolutely devour.

Books and food.

(Sidenote: while I do not literally devour books, I did used to have a friend who thought it was a neat party trick to rip sheets of paper out of notebooks and eat them like it was a goldang Krispy Kreme donut. I often wonder how he’s doing).

Common freelance writing advice tells you that you should start a blog to showcase your writing skills. Cut to me sitting on my couch, staring into space, trying to think of anything worthwhile I had to say.

It was dinnertime, so my rumbling stomach eventually forced me off of said couch. As I pressed the tofu, and chopped the onions, a thought occurred to me.

I could write about food.

Better yet, I could write about the food I’ve always dreamed of. Edmund Pevensie’s Turkish Delight. The tomato and cream cheese sandwich Charles Wallace makes for Meg when the storm keeps her awake. Nina Zenik’s waffles!

(Don’t have a clue what I’m talking about? Stick around, kid, we’ll get ya there!)

Okay, so I was going to write about food inspired by my favorite books. But, how to start?

There was only one real answer. I had to start with the figure who looms large over my whole life.

Anne of Green Gables.

I couldn’t tell you how old I was when I first discovered L.M. Montgomery’s plucky, red haired orphan, but I can tell you that she has been firmly embedded in my heart, ever since.

I’ve reread the whole series countless times, and I constantly amazed at how real she is. I know her as well as any real human being in my life.

I even got to play her onstage, one time!

When it comes to L.M. Montgomery’s idyllic world, there is one iconic food item that stands above the rest.

I’m talking, of course, about Raspberry Cordial.

You know the one. The one Anne means to serve her bosom buddy, Diana, at a special lunch. But because it is Anne Shirley, things don’t go quite as planned.

I’m going to make a confession to you all: Do I know what raspberry cordial tastes like? Absolutely not.

Do I know what I WANT raspberry cordial to taste like? You betcha.

I turned to our trusty friend Google, and learned that traditional raspberry cordial tastes as if Whole Foods decided to start producing Kool Aid. In theory, it tastes like fruit. Really, though, the dominating flavor is sugar. Many recipes actually design it to be so highly concentrated, that it has to be cut with soda water.

I’m going to make another confession to you all: For someone who is writing recipes, I am very bad at following them.

The Raspberry Cordial of my imagination allowed the fruit to stand on its’ own, with a slight herbal aftertaste.

The resulting beverage is probably nothing like the raspberry cordial Marilla Cuthbert was storing in her pantry. It is, however, delicious.

`For extra tartness, I mixed cherries and raspberries together, and added some fresh basil and spices for a more complex flavor. A friend of mine described it as “Apple Cider for Summertime.” But don’t take my word for it. Try it out, before the leaves start changing colors!

Notes:

• Traditional cordial recipes have you soak your fruit overnight in hot water. However, multi-day recipes are…not my thing. I noticed no difference just simmering the berries over the stove. Faster, and still full of flavor.

• I used frozen berries, for a more budget friendly option, but you could certainly use fresh. I recommend de-pitting your cherries beforehand, so you can save the fruit for a delicious side with your morning yogurt and granola.

• I love the deepness honey adds to this recipe, but feel free to replace with the sweetener of your choice

• While it is delicious on its’ own, it is also super refreshing mixed with soda water, or as the base for a cocktail (or a mocktail).

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Anne of Green Gables’ Raspberry Cordial

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves 6

12 Cups of Water

12 oz of Frozen Raspberries

12 oz of Frozen Cherries, pitted

4 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Tbsp of Cardamom Pods

1 Lemon, juiced

1/8 Cup of Honey

¼ Cup of Fresh Basil

1.) Fill a large pot with water. Add raspberries and cherries and bring to a simmer.

2.) Add in cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, lemon juice, and honey. Allow to simmer for ten minutes.

3.) Add in basil. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

4.) Using a mesh colander, or a cheesecloth over a bowl, separate fruit and spices from liquid.

5.) Store liquid in fridge until fully chilled.

6.) Serve over ice and share with the kindred spirits in your life!