Blackberry and Apple Steamed Pudding

Makes a 2 pint pudding

3 tablespoons of bramble and apple jelly (or blackberry jam)
80g/two-third’s cup of blackberries
80g/heaped ¾ cup cooking apple, peeled and diced small
2 tablespoons of light muscovado sugar
3 eggs, weighed in their shells
unsalted butter, the same weight as the eggs
caster/superfine sugar, the same weight as the eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons of milk, as necessary
Prepare the fruit. Place the diced apple and blackberries in a small bowl and combine with the light muscovado sugar.

Butter a 2 pint/1.2 litre pudding basin, and place 3 tablespoons of bramble and apple jelly in the base.

Sift the flour and cinnamon together.

Place the room temperature butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. With the flat beater, cream the two together until it is light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well after each addition.

Taking care not to loose all the air you’ve worked so hard to incorporate, ‘fold’ in the flour/cinnamon mix. If the mixture is a little stiff, add a little milk. You are wanting a ‘dropping consistency’.

Lay a sheet of foil on top of a sheet of baking parchment and make a pleat in both, to allow for expansion. Butter the baking parchment. Place it butter-side down on the pudding. Top with the foil. Align both pleats on top of each other. Tie a piece of string firmly around the ‘lip’ of the basin. Trim the edges so it won’t rest in the water.

Place an upturned saucer in the base of a saucepan and lower the pudding on top. Fill the saucepan with boiling water so that it reaches halfway up the bowl. Bring the water back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover. Keeping an eye on the water level – it may need topping up – steam for 1½ hours.

Carefully lift the pudding from the water and remove the coverings. If it’s cooked the centre will feel springy and a light finger will pull the edges from the side of the bowl. If it needs a little longer, re-tie the coverings and continue steaming for another fifteen minutes. Check again.

When it’s cooked, place your serving plate on the top of the pudding and smoothly turn it over. Lift the pudding basin off, being aware that warm jam will ooze down onto the plate. Don’t allow the pudding to cool in the basin as it will stick.

Serve warm with a traditional English custard or cold cream.

Aga cooks – Bring the water surrounding your pudding to the boil on the Boiling Plate, transfer to the Simmering Plate for 5 minutes and then move it into the Simmering Oven, lid on, for 3 hours.