These brightly coloured Chocolate and Blackberry Shortbread Bars are made by marrying a crisp chocolate shortbread with pureed blackberries and condensed milk to create a rich and chocolate-y treat with a soft and gooey topping.
By the time you read this, I’ll be stood outside a cathedral waiting for my graduation ceremony to begin!! So looking forward to getting it all done as it will 100% mean I’ve finished!
And let me tell you, after my hideous experience, I am done with education.
Now, let’s talk food.
I decided to hold off on the pumpkin for one more week… Then I saw a ton of amazing pumpkin recipes this week and started craving again, so next week? The pumpkin is coming out! 😀
Anyways, stick with me – I know these are very, very purple. But, don’t be scared. That purple-y goodness is fresh blackberries 🙂
I mean, if someone gave me a plate of those purple potatoes you can get now, I’d be like “Whatisthiscrap?!” but fresh blackberries are good.
They’re sweet and juicy and mixed with condensed milk make the most fluffy, light topping ever in contrast to the rich, crisp, chocolate shortbread.
These are OH approved too – and we all know how weird he is when it comes to cake and chocolate….
So, how did I make these heaven sent shortbread bars?
First of all, I made quite possibly the best shortbread I’ve ever made. It’s crumbly, I mean really crumbly – but with shortbread that’s good!
Now, when you mix the “dough” it won’t form a dough at all, it will look like moist crumbs, but if you pick up a bit and squash it together, it does stick – this is perfect. You then have to tip the crumbs into your tin and flatten it right down with your hands.
After baking the shortbread layer for 15-20 minutes, it’s time to add that colourful, purple filling. It’s pretty runny, but don’t fret, once baked it sets up reallllll good.
Leave them to cool completely, if you can… 😉
Slice them up into big (yes) or small (no) slices and you end up with this… 😀
Purple bliss.
Chocolate and blackberry work so well together – the shortbread isn’t overly sweet and has a really good cocoa flavour, then the topping is delicate and sweet, which is the perfect contrast.
I mean, I love incredibly sweet things, I’d pretty much bite into pure sugar, but sometimes you need that contrast and this is that time.
So, use up your blackberries and get ready for me to hit you with all the pumpkin next week! 😀
Enjoy 🙂
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Chocolate and Blackberry Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
- For the shortbread:
- 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, set it out of the fridge 10 minutes before
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) plain flour
- 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the blackberry layer:
- One 14oz can of condensed milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups (320g) fresh blackberries, pureed (my blackberries were HUGE!)
- Pinch salt
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Blackberries and icing sugar to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160C/325F and grease and line an 8x8 inch square pan.
- Make the shortbread first: Place the butter, flour, cocoa powder, cornflour, icing sugar and vanilla into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until you have moist crumbs, about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Tip the shortbread crumbs into your prepared pan and press into the tin until flat and level.
- Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until slightly crisp on top - it will also look slightly lighter than before baking.
- Whilst the shortbread layer is baking, place the condensed milk, egg yolks, pureed blackberries, salt and flour into a large bowl and beat on medium speed until light and smooth, about 1 minute.
- When the shortbread is done, pour the blackberry mixture on top and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden around the edges and an inserted skewer comes out with just a tiny amount of mixture on - the middle will still wobble ever so slightly.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin, then slice into 12-16 bars. Garnish with a fresh blackberry and a dusting of icing sugar, if desired.
- Bars will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature for 2 days.
Annie is a self-taught baker, recipe developer and food photographer, who has an obsession with dessert and beauty! 
