Ingredients

• 400g/14oz blackberries
• 150g/5½oz butter
• softened
• 150g/5½oz golden caster sugar
• 1 lemon
• zest and juice
• 3 free-range eggs
• lightly beaten
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 300g/10½oz Bramley apples
• peeled
• cored removed
• cut into 2cm/¾in pieces
• 175g/6oz blackberry jam

Directions

• Butter a 1.2litre/2 pint pudding basin. Line the base of the basin with a small piece of baking paper.
• Scatter 150g/5½oz of the blackberries into the bottom of the basin and set aside.
• Beat the butter
• sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk half the beaten eggs into the butter mixture. Whisk in half the flour
• then the remaining eggs and then the remaining flour. Stir the apple pieces into the mixture. Spoon into the pudding basin and smooth the surface.
• Cover the basin with the circle of baking parchment
• with the pleat in the centre of the pudding. Cover the parchment with the circle of aluminium foil
• again with the pleat in the centre. Tie the pudding very tightly around the rim with string. Create a carrying handle by tying the excess string across the top of the basin and tying it under the string on the opposite side – this will help you lift the pudding out of the pan once it’s cooked. Trim any excess baking paper and aluminium foil
• leaving a 2.5cm/1in border
• and turn the edges in on themselves to seal.
• Put an upturned heatproof saucer or small trivet in a large
• deep saucepan
• and place the pudding basin on top. Add enough just-boiled water to the pan to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the basin. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and place over a low heat. Allow to steam in the gently simmering water for 1½-2 hours (depending on how you prefer your pudding cooked). Add more water to the pan if necessary to make sure the pan does not boil dry.
• The pudding is done when a skewer inserted into the centre of the pudding (through the aluminium foil and baking paper) comes out clean. If the pudding is still uncooked
• cook for a further 30 minutes. When done
• turn off the heat and carefully lift the basin from the water. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
• Cut the string from the basin and discard the aluminium foil and paper. Run a table knife around the edge of the pudding to loosen the sides
• carefully invert onto a deep plate and remove the basin.
• While the pudding is steaming
• make the sauce. Heat the jam
• remaining blackberries and lemon juice over a low heat for 6-8 minutes
• until the jam has melted and the blackberries soften. Remove the pan from the heat. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Add a little water if the sauce seems too thick and add lemon juice to taste.
• Spoon a little of the sauce over the pudding and allow to run slowly down the sides.