One of the things I love about living out in the country is foraging! In the lane near my house there are thickets of brambles, prickly serpent-like vines laden with berries, and a tree heavy with wild apples. I've not yet been brave enough to try the nettles (!) but I'm a devotee of the wild garlic you can get in the spring too.
A few weekends ago, in fact it was the first "normal" weekend after finishing my three half marathons in three weeks challenge, I headed out with a little punnet and got myself some berries:
And as I had a few pears in my fruit bowl to use up, I decided to make myself a pear and blackberry cake. I was going to make pie but my one attempt at making pastry age 19 was a DISASTER and I've never attempted it since. Perhaps I should give it another go as I'm a much more competent cook than I was then. If I ever want to audition for Masterchef I'm going to have to get over it, right?! ;)
But I think regardless of which baked good you choose to use your blackberries in, you will get that delicious, jammy sweet "Grandma is baking" smell that will absolutely envelope your kitchen, if not your whole house!
If you have picked the blackberries yourself, give them a wash before using them and pick out any that look inedible!
Blackberry pear cake
adapted from a wonderful recipe at Cosmo Cookie
Ingredients:
Roughly 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
2 pears, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter or dairy-free spread, softened
1 large egg
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup milk (or dairy free alternative)
1/4 cup yoghurt (I used Rachel's Organic Greek Style with Honey)
Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F).
Grease and line a cake tin (I used a loaf tin but it would be nice in a round tin too) with baking paper.
Arrange pears and blackberries in a layer in the cake pan. Sprinkle berries with the one and a half tablespoons sugar.
Beat together butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and lemon zest and mix at low speed until just combined. Then add the flour, baking soda, salt, milk and yoghurt and mix again until just combined.
Spoon batter evenly over berries and pears, smoothing top, and bake in the middle of the oven until top is golden and a tester comes out clean. It will take about 30 to 35 minutes.
Run a knife around edge of pan, then invert a large plate over pan and, using pot holders to hold plate and pan together tightly, flip cake onto plate. Peel off the baking paper and serve cake warm, with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
Enjoy.
Another favourite autumnal dessert, especially when training, is Coach Julia's Baked Apple. Tastes just like an apple pie :D
What's your favourite autumn fruit? How do you like to eat it?