‘Late August, given heavy rain and sun
For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
Among others, red, green, hard as a knot.’ Seamus Heaney.
Now that September is here, blackberry season is in full swing and I can’t wait to forage the next lot of the glut on an Autumnal walk for making into jellies, cordials and hedgerow jams. I’m also using them to add autumnal flavour to my staple bakes and makes – like these brownies for example. I adapted my go-to Mary Berry all-in-one recipe to make these blackberry and cardamom brownies, adding a couple of handfuls of freshly foraged blackberries to the mix along with a sprinkling of cardamom, balancing the richness of the chocolate with its spicy aroma. Both flavours are cut through by the sharpness of the brambles and these brownies make a perfect early Autumn treat.
275g softened butter
375g caster sugar
4 large eggs
75g cocoa powder
100g self-raising flour
100g blackberries
1 tsp ground cardamom (or more/ less to your taste!)
Preheat the oven to 180C/ Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Grease and line a large traybake or roasting tin. Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl, apart from the brambles.
Beat the ingredients together until evenly blended – couldn’t be simpler!
Once the brownie is thoroughly mixed, fold in the brambles then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level off the surface so it’s nice and smooth.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until the top is nice and crusty but they are baked through – if the mixture is browning too much you can cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Serve with a cuppa and a handful of fresh blackberries.
What are you baking this weekend? Have you tried blackberry and cardamom brownies?