Late August sees the arrival of blackberry season, and I just can’t wait to go foraging soon! In the meantime I’m making the most of the juicy Scottish-grown berries from our local farm shop to top my porridge and bake with. These blackberry and cardamom buns combine my two favourite ingredients: seasonal brambles and aromatic cardamom, which together are a match made in heaven in baking. To make them, you will need:
250g plain flour
150ml milk
7g yeast sachet
40g butter
25g caster sugar
1tsp cardamom
For the filling:
60g soft brown sugar
60g butter
40g brambles, chopped
1 tsp cardamom
For the topping:
50g icing sugar
Two more brambles.
Melt the butter and milk together and allow to cool to body temperature. Add the yeast and set aside for a few minutes, it will start to froth a little. Mix the wet ingredients into the rest of the dry and knead until the mixture forms a dough, then continue to knead for another 10 minutes. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place until double in size.
Preheat the oven to 180C Fan. Cream the butter, cardamom and sugar in a bowl. Roll the dough out to approx 15 x 20 cm. Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the dough and add the chopped brambles, pressing them in lightly. Roll the dough into a sausage and cut into rounds approx two centimetre thick. Space out evenly on two lined baking trays.
Cover and leave to rise again for around thirty minutes. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool a little before brushing with warmed golden syrup for shine. Make a glaze from 50g icing sugar mixed with the juice of a bramble or two until you have a dropping consistency. Drizzle over the surface of the buns and serve.
