Chef John's Blackberry Buckle

This type of rustic dessert is called a buckle because the fruit sinks into the buttery batter as it bakes and 'buckles' the surface with its juicy weight. I was going to tell you to use any berry you want, but I changed my mind. This really needs to be done with blackberries. I added a handful of almond meal, since I had it around, and I think almonds and blackberries have a thing for one another.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 339 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 3 cups fresh blackberries
• ½ cup almond meal
• 7 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Stir blackberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; let rest, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3

Whisk flour, 3/4 cup sugar, almond meal, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Stir milk into flour mixture until batter is just combined.

Step 4

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; pour into the bottom of a 8x12-inch baking dish. Pour batter over melted butter into the baking dish, using a spatula to gently distribute batter without mixing it into the butter, leaving a 1-inch butter border around the sides of the dish.

Step 5

Scatter blackberries over the batter and spoon any accumulated blackberry juices over the top.

Step 6

Bake buckle in the preheated oven until crisped and browned around the edges, about 1 hour.

Step 7

Melt remaining butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir almonds in hot butter until golden brown and toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle toasted almonds over blackberry buckle and cool buckle to room temperature.