It’s blackberry and hazelnut madeleines season! Well, it’s really just blackberry season but think about all the delicious things you can make with this delicious berry: jams, desserts, fruit salads, savoury sauces, etc. I have shared a few recipes using this wonderful fruit on the blog before such as this blackberry fruit salad or this blackberry and almond chantilly roulade.
But my favourite recipe of all? Here it is: take a walk in the countryside where you can find blackberry bushes in the wild, pick those juicy berries off the branches being careful to avoid the thorns, put them in your basket. A lot of them will never make it to the basket because the temptation to eat them straight away is too big but that’s ok. They just taste so much better that way!
With whatever you have leftover, bake something sweet. My choice would be a small batch of these delicious madeleines. Add ground hazelnut in the batter which will add a lovely nutty flavour to these little french cakes. Plus, hazelnuts are also in season this month.
Obviously, picking your own blackberries in the countryside is optional. I often resort to buying a punnet in the shop or at the market since I live in the city.
But childhood walks with a basket on my arm looking for wild blackberry bushes, eating a lot of them on the way home and ending up with berry-stained fingers, were some of my favourite autumn activities. These blackberry and hazelnut madeleines keep those memories alive.
With whatever you have leftover, bake something sweet. My choice would be a small batch of these delicious madeleines. Add ground hazelnut in the batter which will add a lovely nutty flavour to these little french cakes. Plus, hazelnuts are also in season this month.
Obviously, picking your own blackberries in the countryside is optional. I often resort to buying a punnet in the shop or at the market since I live in the city.
But childhood walks with a basket on my arm looking for wild blackberry bushes, eating a lot of them on the way home and ending up with berry-stained fingers, were some of my favourite autumn activities. These blackberry and hazelnut madeleines keep those memories alive.
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Have you ever picked your own blackberries in the countryside?
What are your favourite blackberry recipes?
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Have you ever picked your own blackberries in the countryside?
What are your favourite blackberry recipes?
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Blackberry & Hazelnut Madeleines Recipe (Vegetarian)
Ingredients (make 24 madeleines)
3 free range eggs
125g caster sugar
165g sifted plain flour (plus extra for dusting the moulds)
7g sifted baking powder
120g butter* (plus extra for greasing the moulds)
2 tablespoons ground hazelnuts** (plus extra for sprinkling)
1 punnet blackberries (you want to account for one blackberry per madeleine, two if they are really small)
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Let it cool down before adding to the batter.
2. Put the eggs and sugar in a large baking bowl and whisk together until the mixture is frothy and pale. Stir in the sifted flour and baking powder. Then add the melted butter and mix until smooth. Fold in the ground hazelnuts. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes before use.
3. Preheat the oven to 230ºC (210ºC fan). Grease a 12-shell madeleine tin with butter and dust with flour; tap the excess out. Put a tablespoon of batter into each madeleine shell. Press one blackberry per shell into the batter and sprinkle with a little bit of ground hazelnuts.
4. Place the madeleine tin on the middle shelf of the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 200ºC (180ºC fan). Bake for 5 minutes, turn the heat down again to 180ºC (160º fan) and bake for another 5 minutes or until the madeleines are puffed and golden-brown.
5. Delicately transfer the madeleines onto a wire rack and repeat the baking for the second batch.
Let the madeleines cool down for a few minutes before eating them warm.
Notes:
* I use salted butter (it is very common to bake cakes with salted butter where I am from in France) but if you prefer to use unsalted, add a small pinch of salt with the eggs and sugar before whisking.
** I made my own by grinding a few handfuls of blanched hazelnuts in a food processor.
Ingredients (make 24 madeleines)
3 free range eggs
125g caster sugar
165g sifted plain flour (plus extra for dusting the moulds)
7g sifted baking powder
120g butter* (plus extra for greasing the moulds)
2 tablespoons ground hazelnuts** (plus extra for sprinkling)
1 punnet blackberries (you want to account for one blackberry per madeleine, two if they are really small)
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Let it cool down before adding to the batter.
2. Put the eggs and sugar in a large baking bowl and whisk together until the mixture is frothy and pale. Stir in the sifted flour and baking powder. Then add the melted butter and mix until smooth. Fold in the ground hazelnuts. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes before use.
3. Preheat the oven to 230ºC (210ºC fan). Grease a 12-shell madeleine tin with butter and dust with flour; tap the excess out. Put a tablespoon of batter into each madeleine shell. Press one blackberry per shell into the batter and sprinkle with a little bit of ground hazelnuts.
4. Place the madeleine tin on the middle shelf of the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 200ºC (180ºC fan). Bake for 5 minutes, turn the heat down again to 180ºC (160º fan) and bake for another 5 minutes or until the madeleines are puffed and golden-brown.
5. Delicately transfer the madeleines onto a wire rack and repeat the baking for the second batch.
Let the madeleines cool down for a few minutes before eating them warm.
Notes:
* I use salted butter (it is very common to bake cakes with salted butter where I am from in France) but if you prefer to use unsalted, add a small pinch of salt with the eggs and sugar before whisking.
** I made my own by grinding a few handfuls of blanched hazelnuts in a food processor.
