Culinary delights and literary magic ~ Two Summer Recipes from "Anne of Green Gables" & "Little Women"

 Dear Reader,

   Now that summer is upon us it's very possible for you to find me sitting down at the beach with a good book, toes in sand and sunglasses shining. However, I'm sure that although this idyllic state sounds appealing to most of us, we still are simultaneously forced to abide by the treacherous tendrils of the dreaded summer heat.

   But not to worry! In today's article, I'll be sharing two literary recipes from two of my favourite classic novels: 'Anne of Green Gables' by L.M. Montgomery and 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott. With these two delights you'll be sure to fight against the solstice sun in full bibliophilic-style! So let's get to it, shall we?

Marilla Cuthbert's Raspberry Cordial

“Now, please help yourself, Diana,” she said politely. “I don’t believe I’ll have any just now. I don’t feel as if I wanted any after all those apples.”

Diana poured herself out a tumblerful, looked at its bright-red hue admiringly, and then sipped it daintily. 

“That’s awfully nice raspberry cordial, Anne,” she said. “I didn’t know raspberry cordial was so nice.” 

“I’m real glad you like it. Take as much as you want. I’m going to run out and stir the fire up. There are so many responsibilities on a person’s mind when they’re keeping house, isn’t there?”

--- 'Anne of Green Gables', Chapter XVI 

Ingredients:

~ 500g fresh raspberries

~ 1/3 cup lemon juice (around 3 lemons)

~ 12 cups boiling water

~ 3 cups white sugar

~ approximately 400ml cool water

Instructions:

Step 1: Carefully wash your raspberries and place them in a large bowl.

Step 2: Squeeze your 3 lemons and pour the juice into the bowl.

Step 3: Pour 12 cups of water into a large pot and boil.

Step 4: Pour and stir 3 cups of sugar into the boiling water until it dissolves.

Step 5: Pour the mixture of boiling water and dissolved sugar into the bowl of raspberries and lemon juice.

Step 6: Cover the mixture and let steep in your fridge for 24 hours.

Step 7: Take the mixture out of the fridge and pass it through a sieve to remove the raspberry seeds.

Step 8: Use a potato masher to press the raspberries and extract as much of the juice as possible.

Step 9: Add approximately 400ml of cool water to the raspberry mush to help extract natural flavours and colours.

Step 10: Strain the mixture until all of the pulp and seeds are removed.

Step 11: Once done, let the drink cool in the fridge for a bit and voilà! 

Peppermint Ice Cream from 'Little Women'

“There was ice cream, actually two dishes of it, pink and white, and cake and fruit and distracting French bonbons, and, in the middle of the table, four great bouquets of hot-house flowers.” 

--- 'Little Women', Chapter II

Ingredients:

~ 3/4 cup sugar

~ 2 large eggs

~ 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

~ 2 Cup half-and-half

~ 1 cup heavy cream

~ 2 teaspoons peppermint extract

~ 6 drops red food coloring

~ 3/4 cup crushed peppermint candies

Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs until thickened and pale yellow.

Step 2: Incorporate the corn starch and set aside.

Step 3: In a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the half-and-half to a simmer.

Step 4: Remove the pan from the heat, and slowly beat the warm half-and-half into the egg-

and-sugar mixture.

Step 5: Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly.

Step 6: Remove from the heat and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a clean, large bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in the heavy cream, peppermint extract, and food coloring.

Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Step 8: Stir the crushed peppermint candies into the chilled custard, then freeze in one or two batches in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 9: When finished, the ice cream will be soft but edible.

Step 10: For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for two hours or more.

Step 11: Scoop and enjoy!

   And that's just about it for today! I hope these little treasures find their way into your kitchen just how the books they came from found their way into my heart! Happy summer!

Yours,

Pearl's Odyssey (2025) All rights reserved ©