Blackberries for Cookie Creations

Published 6:00 am Saturday, August 19, 2000

“Photo: Jeanne Blackburn shows off her blackberry scones taken fresh out of the Cookie Creations oven.Jim Larsen / staff photoPlump blackberries are now ripening on Whidbey Island vines, but few residents have the time to pick them and turn them into something delectable. That is no longer a problem, as Jeanne Blackburn is doing the picking for you.For the past two weeks, Blackburn has been picking blackberries behind the post office in Langley, just a few steps away from where she lives in Brookhaven.Blackburn works for Cookie Creations, a fund-raising business sponsored by Island County Mental Health. But picking berries is not part of her job description. I want to do it, but they love it, she said.The small staff at the Cookie Creations bakery at Ken’s Korner Mall is indeed delighted to have hand-picked Whidbey Island blackberries in the inventory. We just put them in our first batch of the season — blackberry scones, said Beth Bentley, program coordinator, on Monday morning.The big, fluffy, blackberry laced scones were removed from the oven and allowed to cool for a few minutes, then broken up. We’ve got a good crumble going there, Bentley said, admiring the consistency of the scones. Butter melted smoothly on the light, warm scones, and the taste was delicious — an instant reminder of one of the best parts of living on Whidbey Island.That’s the memory that Blackburn wants to rekindle later in the year, in the fall and winter, when people bite into a Cookies Creation scone or pie. Most of Blackburn’s berries are stored in one corner of the walk-in freezer, waiting for cooler weather when all the outdoor berries are gone. Order your pies and scones now, advised Bentley.Meanwhile, a limited supply of blackberry scones is available now at the Cookie Creations shop in Coupeville. A wide variety of Cookie Creations cookies can also be found in grocery stores throughout Whidbey Island. Bentley said people in Freeland have been particularly supportive of the business.The Whidbey Island blackberry season is nearing its peak now, with millions of sweet berries ripening quickly under this year’s relentless summer sun.Jeanne Blackburn is a dedicated picker, undeterred by the thorns. She lifts one of her pant legs a few inches to show off a host of scratches, but promises to return to her blackberry patch to pick some more.I don’t know how she has a good time, but she does, laughed Bentley. She’s pretty amazing.Blackburn brought in four large bags of blackberries last week, and on Monday that number had grown by nine more bags, to 15. There’s plenty more where those came from, and Blackburn aims to pick as many as she can.It’s better than letting them go to waste, she said. How to order a blackberry pieBlackberry pies and scones can by ordered from Cookie Creations by calling 341-4226. Or they may be purchased at the Cookie Creations store which is open weekday mornings at 905 N. Main, Coupeville.Other Cookie Creations products can be found clearly labeled in white bags in the bakery sections of many Whidbey Island grocery stores. The bakery project is sponsored by Island County Mental Health. “