I wanted to make something a little unexpected with these wild blackberries, and whipped butter seemed like the perfect way to do it. I picked these myself, and because we don’t really get the same variety of berries in Malta and Gozo that you find in places such as Northern Europe, finding wild berries is always a bit of a treat. Rather than simply eating them as they were, I turned them into this blackberry whipped butter.
The blackberries are cooked down with a little honey, lemon zest and lemon juice before being strained into a smooth purée. I use just enough honey to bring out the natural sweetness of the berries, as I wanted the blackberry to remain the main flavour, with the butter making it rich and creamy rather than turning it into something that feels more like a dessert.
Whipping the butter first makes it light and airy, and once the cooled blackberry purée is whisked into it, you end up with something that is both simple and a little unusual. You can whisk the purée in completely for a smooth, evenly coloured butter, or mix it through more gently for a pretty marbled finish.
This is especially good spread over warm pancakes or toast where the tartness of the blackberries works beautifully with the richness of the butter. You could also add more honey or a little sugar if you wanted to take it in a sweeter direction and use it as part of a dessert, but I prefer to keep the sweetness restrained so that the blackberry remains the focal point.
Make sure the blackberry purée has cooled completely before adding it to the butter. If it is still warm, it will soften the butter too much and make it difficult to whip properly. Straining the berries is also worth the extra step, particularly when using wild blackberries, as it leaves you with a much smoother butter.
This is such a simple way to turn a handful of beautiful wild blackberries into something completely different from the usual jam or dessert, and the result is a really lovely blackberry butter with the fruit at its centre.
