As summer comes to an end and the sun starts its southward migration, the yearly blackberry crops flourish along the sides of B.C.’s roads.
All over the North Shore the thorny bushes are heavy with fruit that is ripe and just begging to be picked. So grab your bucket and take the family out for a day of gathering some of nature’s bounty, then try these delicious recipes for baked blackberry goodies.
Blackberry Crumb Bars
¾ cup plus 1½ Tbsp sugar, divided use
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups fresh blackberries
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
Preheat oven to 375° F. Line an eight-by-eight-inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine one quarter cup of the sugar and the cornstarch; stir in the lemon juice. Add the blackberries and toss to coat; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, half a cup of sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add the egg yolk, vanilla and the butter. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spread two-thirds of the mixture in the pan. Press firmly to even out and flatten.
Top with the blackberry mixture, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining crumbs, then sprinkle the remaining 1½ tablespoons of sugar over top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm with ice cream. This can also be cooled completely before cutting into squares. Makes six servings.
Rustic Blackberry & Blueberry Tart
Crust:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornmeal
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1⁄3 cup buttermilk
Filling:
3 cups fresh blackberries
3 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp milk
1 egg
1½ Tbsp turbinado sugar (“raw” sugar) or other large crystal sugar (you can use regular granulated sugar if you can’t find coarse sugar)
To prepare the pastry, measure out the flour by spooning it lightly into measuring cups and leveling with a knife.
Combine the flour, sugar, cornmeal and salt in the bowl of a food processor; add the butter cubes and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running, slowly add buttermilk until the mixture just forms a ball.
Gently press the dough into a four-inch circle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° F. Unwrap the dough and place it between two sheets of parchment paper; roll dough out into a 15-inch circle.
Remove the top piece of parchment and place the dough along with the bottom piece of parchment on a rimmed baking sheet.
To prepare the filling, place the berries, sugar, flour and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss gently to coat berries. Arrange the berry mixture in the middle of the circle of dough, leaving a two-inch border all around. Fold the edges of the dough up around the berries, pleating and pinching the dough as required (the dough won’t cover all of the filling).
Whisk the milk and egg together in a small bowl and brush the mixture on the dough, then sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the dough. Bake for one hour or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for at least 30 minutes; cut into wedges and serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes eight servings.
Blackberry Muffins
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1⁄3 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup plus 2 tsp milk
½ tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1½ cups fresh blackberries
1 Tbsp sugar
Preheat oven to 400° F. Line 10 cups in a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; fill the remaining two cups halfway full with water.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl; stir in the sugar. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, egg and milk. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and whisk until just blended, then whisk in the lemon zest (batter should be slightly lumpy).
Gently fold in the blackberries. Divide the batter evenly among the 10 lined muffin cups; sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar evenly over the tops. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean of batter. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool slightly; serve warm. Makes 10 muffins.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
