Benjamina Ebuehi's Recipe for Blackberry Sage Crumble Bars | The perfect place

Combining fruit with herbs is one of my not-so-secret weapons, and today's combination is one of my favorites. Sweet blackberries cook to jammy, while sage-flecked crumble adds fragrant, earthy warmth. A good butter base is essential for any crumble bar, so cook it before adding the fruit to avoid a soggy bottom. I like to think of them as a farewell to summer and a welcome to fall.

Blackberry Sage Crumble Bars

Prep 30 minCook 1 hr Chill 2 hr +Makes 12< /p>

For the crumble (base and filling)300g flour70g caster sugar50g brown sugar60g oats220g cold salted butter, diced8-10 finely chopped sage leaves

For the filling350g of fresh blackberries45g of caster sugar1 teaspoon of cornstarchJuice of ½ lemon

Line a 20cm x 20cm mold with parchment paper, leaving enough protruding to be able to take it out later.

Place the flour, sugars and oats in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the dry ingredients until everything looks like coarse crumbs. Pour three quarters of the mixture into the lined pan and press down evenly. Add the sage to the remaining crumble mixture in the bowl and use your fingers to stir until it begins to clump together. Refrigerate base and filling for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/Gas 5, then bake chilled base for 20 minutes , until it just seems set and the edges are starting to brown. Remove and let cool a bit while you prepare the filling.

Place the blackberries, sugar, cornflour and lemon juice in a bowl and toss to combine. Pour over the cooked base, then top with the rest of the sage crumble mixture. Bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit is soft and jammy. Remove and let cool completely for a few hours before slicing and serving.