16 black currant recipes

Apple and black currant scones with dried apple chunks, tart currants, and a hearty whole wheat plus wheat germ base. High-fiber, lower-fat scones with deep flavor and a crisp golden top.

Traditional German Rumtopf: a layered preserve of summer fruits, sugar, and rum that builds up over the season and matures into a boozy Christmas dessert by winter.

Salt-crusted rye bread studded with pecans, currants, and caraway seeds. Inspired by the Inn at Little Washington, this artisan loaf pairs with cheese and smoked salmon.

Gnocchi with chickpeas, butternut squash, and greens pan-sears pillowy gnocchi, then tosses them into a skillet of sage-scented squash, currants, garlic, and wilted spinach. A hearty vegetarian one-pan meal.

Raw carrot and orange salad with currants, walnuts, lemon juice, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. A bright, no-cook side dish dressed in olive oil.

Ruby pears poached in Beaujolais wine with currant jelly, rosemary, vanilla bean, and whole cloves. Pressure cooked and chilled 24 hours for deep ruby color.

Moroccan carrot and orange salad with shredded carrots, fresh orange segments, currants, walnuts, and red pepper flakes in a lemon-olive oil dressing. A vibrant no-cook side dish.

Fermented mincemeat made with venison or beef tongue, suet, apples, dried fruit, red wine, cider, and brandy. A six-to-eight-week crock cure transforms the ingredients into the deep, boozy filling of old hunting cabin Christmas pies.

Flour-dusted chicken browned golden and simmered in a fragrant curry-tomato sauce with sweet currants, bell pepper, and toasted almonds. Served over rice with coconut and chutney for a vibrant one-pot dinner.

Pork chops and sweet potatoes baked in a currant jelly glaze with orange juice, dry mustard, ginger, and lemon zest for a sweet-savory one-dish dinner.

Moroccan-spiced couscous salad with chickpeas, currants, Granny Smith apple, and crunchy vegetables in a lemon dressing. A low-fat make-ahead salad that keeps for up to 3 days.

Bourbon-soaked fruit and nut turkey stuffing with prunes, apricots, cranberries, macadamias, cashews, and walnuts. Festive, nutty, and richly spiced.

Baked marinated tofu over saucy cabbage with tomato paste, dill, currants, and minced pickle, served on rice. A hearty vegetarian main with Eastern European flair.

Bulgur wheat baked with roasted eggplant, fresh spinach, roasted garlic, bell peppers, currants, and slivered almonds. A vibrant vegetarian casserole packed with Mediterranean flavor.

Emily Dickinson's black cake, a dense Victorian fruitcake with brandy, molasses, raisins, currants, and citron spiced with cloves, mace, and cinnamon. Baked low and slow.

Russian malossol pickles are lightly brined cucumbers fermented with dill, garlic, horseradish root, and cherry or currant leaves. Ready in 5-6 days, crisp, garlicky, and mildly salty.