Whether you buy them from the shops or harvest from the hedgerows, blackberries (or brambles, as their wild cousins are known) have a distinctive sharpness that pairs well with both sweet and savoury dishes. We’ve baked our blackberries into rich buttery buns.
Feed a crowd with these sweet buns that are packed full of the flavours autumn. Seasonal sharp blackberries and sweet, creamy custard are a perfect match.
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Yields:
12 serving(s)
Prep Time:
40 mins
Cook Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Cal/Serv:
355
Ingredients
For the buns
350 g strong white flour
25 g caster sugar
7 g sachet fast-action dried yeast
150 ml whole milk
150 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling
300 ml whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
3 medium egg yolks
50 g caster sugar
2 Tbsp. plain flour
2 Tbsp. cornflour
250 g blackberries
50 g caster sugar
For the topping
1 medium egg, beaten
75 g pearl sugar, see GH Tip
Directions
Step 1For the buns, measure the flour, sugar, yeast and 1tsp fine salt into the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix briefly. Add the milk and eggs and mix for 10min or until the dough is coming away from the sides of the bowl. With the motor on, add the butter one cube at a time until combined. Knead on medium-fast speed for a further 10min, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover bowl with clingfilm and chill in the fridge overnight.
Step 2Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Arrange on trays, spacing apart, and cover loosely with clingfilm. Leave to rise at room temperature for 1hr, or until slightly puffed
Step 3 Meanwhile make the fillings. Heat milk and vanilla in a medium pan until steaming. In a heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until thick and creamy. Whisk in flour and cornflour until combined. Gradually whisk in warmed milk, then pour back into the pan. Return pan to heat and slowly bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly. Cook for 2-3min, whisking, until thickened and smooth. Pour into a bowl and lay clingfilm on the surface to stop a skin forming. Cool.
Step 4Cook blackberries and sugar in a pan over medium heat until the berries have softened but are still just holding their shape. Set aside.
Step 5Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. When risen, brush buns with egg and roll the sides in the pearl sugar. Bake for 15min, or until turning golden. Carefully remove from oven and make a fairly deep depression in the top of each bun with the back of a spoon. Fill the depressions with custard and then top with the blackberry compote.
Step 6Return to the oven for 15min, or until the buns are deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Eat just warm or at room temperature on the day of baking.
GH Tip
If you can’t find pearl sugar, used crushed sugar cubes or demerara instead.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
