The blackberry bushes near us are fit to bursting point which is why, when my father and I meandered down to the bramble bushes we returned with 2kg of the berries! What on earth was I going to do with all those blackberries?
Instead of going for just the standard jam route I was keen to try something a bit different with my berries and to see just how far I could stretch my punnets.
Cake was definitely on the cards so I rustled up a simple sponge recipe and added 200g blackberries and baked at 180°c for 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
Second I set some blackberries aside for a smoothie which I will make with kefir, a fermented probiotic culture that contains many beneficial bacteria and yeasts, yoghurt and a spot of honey to taste.
Chia Jam
When I first got to thinking about what to make with my multitude of blackberries, jam instantly jumped to mind yet I was a bit underwhelmed and the thought at making another batch of jam (we still have some of the blackcurrant stuff left) so I racked the internet’s brains for other ideas and this one kinda stuck.
Obviously, it wouldn’t be me writing up recipes without experimenting and changing a few things so without further ado here's my take on chia jam:
You will need:
1.1 kg blackberries
100ml lemon juice
100m water
150ml honey
200g chia seeds
When you hydrate Chia seeds they become gelatinous, which, as some of the readers of my blog will now (or maybe you just know this anyway) is why they are often used as a substitute for eggs in baking. Following this thought process, it can be assumed that chia seeds can be used in jam making instead of sugar to set the set the jam. n.b. you will need to keep this jam in the fridge though and eat it within two weeks as it has not been preserved like jam has and therefore won’t last as long.
So yeah, I guess I lied, that whole last paragraph was further ado.
Method:
In a pan boil the fruit and lemon juice for 3-5 minutes to soften the fruit. If like me, you realise at the last minute that you have in fact run out of lemons, use oranges.
Mash the fruit using a fork, masher or blender depending on how fine you want your jam to be.
Once boiling and bubbling away nicely stir in the honey.
Add the chia seeds and stir once only before removing from the heat and spooning your jam into sterilised jars.
Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are very in vogue with the health conscious, clean eating fam so here’s my version featuring…you guessed it…blackberries.
As you’ve probably guessed from the name overnight oats require being made the night before as the cold oats steep in the milk overnight and require zero cooking, it's really really simple to make too.
I’m actually going to go one step further with my super-easy overnight oats recipe because though some other recipes require a blender, mine doesn’t.
You will need:
65/70g oats - depending on how hungry you get in the morning
225ml almond milk
2 tbsp chia seeds
75g blackberries
2 tbsp of honey (to taste)
Method:
Fill the base of your container, I'm using a jar with a handle with oats and pour the almond milk until it covers the oats (you made need more)
Wham the other ingredients that you want to use in the jar and pop it in the fridge overnight.
I decided to serve my overnight oats with a spoonful of the chia jam (see above)
Blackberry Brownies
The sharp, somewhat tart taste of blackberries works well with the rich flavour of dark chocolate and for the last recipe that I am going to share with you (on this post at least) marries these two flavours in deliciously moist brownies.
You will need:
225g sugar
113g butter (melted)
30g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
125g plain flour
150-200g blackberries
30g walnuts (optional)
30g cocoa nibs (optional)
Method:
I’ve gone for another super-duper easy recipe for this one which is basically put everything in a bowl (except the blackberries) and mix well.
Carefully fold in the blackberries trying not to burst them before you cook them. Spoon the mixture onto a lined tray and bake at 180°c for 20 -25 minutes.
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