APPLE AND BLACKBERRY FOOL

Serves 4-6. You will need:

3-4 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

75g blackberries, fresh or frozen (see my Tip, above)

75ml (3fl oz) water

150g (5oz) caster sugar, plus a little extra

150ml (5fl oz) cream

Shortbread biscuits, to serve (see next recipe)

Put the apple chunks, the fresh or frozen blackberries, whichever you are using, the water and the 150g (5oz) of caster sugar in a saucepan. Simmer it over a low heat with the lid on for 10 minutes until the apple is quite soft. Remove the lid and continue to simmer, stirring regularly, for another 3-4 minutes until the apple chunks and the blackberries are very soft and mushy and the extra liquid has evaporated.

Take the saucepan off the heat, allow it to cool a little, then whizz the contents in a food processor for a few minutes to make a deep-purple puree.

Taste the puree to make sure it is sweet enough. If it is not, then add a little more caster sugar. It should be slightly sweeter than you ultimately want it to be, as the sweetness will be diluted somewhat by the whipped cream.

Transfer the puree to a bowl and allow it to cool completely. While the fruit puree is cooling, whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks. Once the fruit puree is cool, gently fold the cream into it. Serve with shortbread biscuits, see below, on the side.