blackberry

The Summer-girl-at-heart side of me might be in full denial right now, but the truth is, Autumn is right around the corner.

You can feel it in the way the night comes back a little bit earlier with every day that passes, in the first squashes of the season popping up on the market stalls, and, more importantly, in the blackberry bushes bending under the weight of berries.

Now, I’ve already confessed my (sort of wild) love of foraging, and as a result, blackberries have been gathering in my fridge over the past few weeks…

… only one thing to do. And that is, of course, cake! #whatelse

Blackberry Friands | Cake + Whisky

Just as I was pondering what to do with all those berries, I remembered the delightful, light as a cloud little bundles of joy Chef Luc Morbihan baked for us as a part of our Lobster Masterclass in Saint Malo.

Blackberry friands it was, then!

The rich, nutty flavour of almonds and hazelnut butter balances the tanginess of the berries perfectly and makes it the perfect treat any time of the day!

Make a batch this weekend, I’m sure you’ll find them berry good!

Blackberry Friands | Cake + Whisky

Blackberry Friands (serves 6) – adapted from Michelin-starred chef Luc Morbihan’s recipe

Ingredients:

50g of almond powder
110g of caster sugar
45g of plain white flour
110g of egg white (about 3 medium eggs)
75g of butter
a handful of blackberries

1. In a big bowl, combine the almond powder, caster sugar and flour.

2. Add the egg white.

3. Cook the butter in a really hot pan until it turns brown and smells nutty, then add it to the batter. Mix gently, then set aside for at least an hour in the fridge.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C. Butter the moulds, pour the batter into them, then pop some fruit on top of each of them.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes (until the edges turn golden). Serve warm or cold, with a coulis or some ice cream.

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I might be fooling everybody into believing I’m a city kind of person the majority of the time.

But the second Autumn hits, all my hard work goes right down the drain.

With trees getting covered with fruit and bushes bending with berries, foraging brings out the most countryside-y aspects of my personality, and it’s very likely you’ll find me climbing on trees or getting my hair stuck in brambles in a desperate attempt to fill my fridge with some hand-picked seasonal jewels.

This breakfast parfait recipe was directly inspired by the first blushing plums (delivered to my door by Farmdrop) and a particularly succesful commute blackberry forage.

Combined with creamy Greek yoghurt and crunchy roasted hazelnuts, it makes for a super easy, perfectly seasonal and incredibly satisfying breakfast!

Yoghurt Breakfast Parfait with Plum Compote, blackberries and hazelnuts (serves 2)

Ingredients: 200g Greek yoghurt, 200g plums (stones removed and quartered), 50g blackberries, 25g hazelnuts, 2 tsp cane syrup (or other liquid syrup), 1/4 tablespoon cinnamon powder

1. In a dry pan, roast your hazelnuts for a few minutes until golden, then break them down to small-ish pieces with a mortar and pestle.

2. Comine the plums, cane syrup and cinnamon powder with a tiny bit of water in a hot pan, then simmer until the plums break down and reach a slightly jam-like consistency.

3. Layer the yoghurt, plum compote, fresh blackberries and roasted hazelnuts into two glasses. Top with more blackberries and hazelnuts and serve immediately.

PIN FOR LATER:

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Blackberry Friands

Yoghurt Breakfast Parfait with Plum Compote