Blackberry & fennel crumble bars
The perfect summer picnic dessert
1 hr 5 mins plus cooling
Not Too Tricky
makes 16
About the recipe
As a recipe developer, I love playing around with unexpected flavour combos. With sweet macerated blackberries, nutty wholemeal flour and a pinch of fennel seeds (trust me on this one!), these are the perfect portable crumble bars for summer picnics.
Ingredients
500g blackberries
150g light brown soft sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
½ an orange
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
250g wholemeal self-raising flour
250g unsalted butter
250g jumbo rolled oats
6 tablespoons jam, such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry, mixed berry
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Line a 20cm x 30cm deep baking tray with a strip of greaseproof paper so that it overhangs on each of the long sides. Cut any large blackberries into halves or thirds and toss in a bowl with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Finely grate over the orange zest, toss again and set aside.
- To make the crumble base, blitz the fennel seeds as finely as you can in a food processor, or use a pestle and mortar. Add the flour and the remaining 150g of sugar, chop the butter into 1cm cubes and add, along with a pinch of sea salt. Pulse until the mixture forms fine crumbs. Tip in the oats and pulse a couple of times to distribute.
- Evenly press two thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the tray and bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and dollop over the jam, spreading it evenly into the corners and edges, then sprinkle over the blackberries. Scrunch and sprinkle over the remaining crumble mixture and return to the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool, then cut into squares. Delicious with a cup of tea.
