Himalayan Blackberries are Victoria's most delicious invasive plant. In August, you'll find thorny outcrops heaving with sweet berries, free for the picking. And a really nice thing about blackberries is that they don't need much, which is exactly the point of a crumble. This one is baked in individual dishes, so everyone gets their own crisp, buttery top and no fighting over the corner pieces. Ramekins work well here, though anything oven-safe and roughly a cup in size will do. If your blackberries are especially tart, lean toward the higher end of the sugar in the filling. If they're sweet and ripe, pull back a little and let the fruit do the talking.
INGREDIENTS
Filling:
4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (no need to thaw if frozen) 2–3 tablespoons granulated sugar, to taste 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon lemon juice Pinch of salt
Topping:
4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (600 g)
2–3 tablespoons granulated sugar (25–40 g)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (10 g)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
Pinch of salt
METHOD
Preheat oven to 375F. Set out 4 ramekins or small oven-safe dishes on a baking sheet, in case of any bubbling over.
In a mixing bowl, toss the blackberries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt until the berries are evenly coated. Divide the mixture among the ramekins.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter and work it in with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few larger pea-sized pieces still visible. Don't overwork it, you want texture, not paste.
Scatter the topping generously over each dish of berries, right to the edges.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling up around the sides. If the tops are browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Let the crumbles cool for at least 10 minutes before eating, the filling needs a moment to set and will otherwise take the roof off your mouth. Serve warm, on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of cream.
These are best fresh, but leftovers keep covered in the fridge for a couple of days. Warm them through in the oven before serving again.