10 beautiful blackberry recipes

Blackberry surprise muffins

These delicious blackberry muffins have a juicy fruit centre and are topped with a drizzle of sweet lemon icing, making them irresistible. Budding young bakers can help with the mixing and filling the centres with the surprise blackberry purée.

1. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C.
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases. Put the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and mix together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and mix in 75ml maple syrup, the oil, yogurt, vanilla and milk. Stir the wet mix into the dry; fold through the apple. Spoon into the cases and bake for 25 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, put the berries in a pan with 1 tbsp lemon juice and the remaining maple syrup. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 mins, or until the berries have softened. Put in a blender and purée. Return to the pan, reserving 1 tbsp in a small bowl. Whisk the cornflour into this, then add to the pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring, for 3 mins, or until thick. Remove from the heat and cool.
5. Remove the muffins from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
6. Using an apple corer or teaspoon, remove the cores of the muffins, to about halfway; reserve. Fill the holes with blackberry purée, then press the core back in place. In a bowl, whisk 2 tsp lemon juice with the icing sugar then drizzle over the muffins.