Serves 4-6

Apple and blackberries

6 cooking apples, such as Granny Smith apples

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 punnet (chip) blackberries or use 1 cup frozen berries

Sponge-top

125g butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 large free-range egg

1 cup plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup full cream milk

icing sugar for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 190C. Lightly butter a 4-cup capacity ovenproof dish.

Peel, core and slice the apples and place in a saucepan with the water and sugar. Cover and cook over medium heat until the apples are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the blackberries or frozen berries and gently stir through. Cover to keep hot.

Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold into the creamed mixture. Add the milk and gently fold, you should have a mixture with a soft dropping consistency. Use a little more milk if needed.

Place the hot fruit in the ovenproof dish and spoon sponge mixture over. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the sponge is golden and springs back when lightly touched.

Sift over a little icing sugar and serve hot with vanilla custard, ice cream, fresh cream or yoghurt.

Vanilla Custard

300ml full cream milk

1/2 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoons caster sugar

Place the milk and vanilla pod in a heavy-based saucepan and bring up to scalding point. Remove from the heat and leave milk to cool a little and infuse with vanilla. Scrape out the seeds from their pod.

Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and stir well. Pour on the milk, mix well then return to a rinsed-out saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir continuously until the custard begins to thicken slightly. Watch you don’t allow to boil or the custard will curdle.

Strain into a jug for serving.

Tip - add 1 teaspoon arrowroot to the egg yolks and sugar - this will thicken and stabilise the custard a little.