Autumn may bring shorter days, cooler temperatures and plenty of leaves turning golden brown. It also brings a second berry season filled with blackberries, rosehips and elderberries. With Autumn arriving so does apple season as apples ripen and turn rosy red.
I adore foraging for wild blackberries in the hedgerows and you should give it a go! Just make sure to pick on hedgerows away from busy roads and always seek the permission of landowners.
These Blackberry and Apple Crumble Bars are perfect for this season and make a great Autumn adventure snack. Keep fresh in a sealed container for up to 4 days…if they last that long!!
When blackberries aren’t in season use whatever berries are or substitute the compote for some jam.
For more apple inspired recipes try out my Spiced Apple & Carrot Squares, Spiced Apple & Ginger Chutney or my Caramel Apple Slices.
Makes 12 bars.
Blackberry Compote:
- 300g blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp water
Crumble Base:
- 75g butter or coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 75g plain flour
- 100g porridge oats
Crumble Topping:
- 2 tbsp soft butter or coconut oil
- 50g porridge oats
- 2 tbsp mixed seeds
- 25g nuts, roughly chopped
- pinch of sea-salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- First make the blackberry compote: Place the blackberries (fresh or frozen), honey and water in a saucepan. Simmer for about 15 minutes, while stirring. Once thickened, remove from the heat and set aside to cool down.
- For the crumble base: preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F. Line a square baking tin with parchment paper.
- Use an electric whisk to cream the butter and honey in a mixing bowl, until light and pale. Stir in the vanilla extract. Continue to mix in the flour and the oats until everything is well combined (and the oats visibly moistened with butter).
- For the crumble topping: place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and rub the butter throughout all the ingredients until well combined.
- Press the crumble base mixture over the lined baking tin with the back of a spoon. Spread all the apple slices over the surface followed by the blackberry compote. Scatter the oat topping over the blackberries as you would a crumble topping.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for up to 30 minutes or until the blackberry mixture starts to bubble up through the crumble ( if the oat crumble edges start to burn, cover the top with tinfoil or reduce the oven temperature).
- Once baked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool at room temperature in the tin. Once cooled, cut into squares or slices.
