WEST COUNTRY SPLITS WITH BRAMBLE CURD

Preparation 40 minutes, plus rising Cooking 1 hour Makes 12 Both Cornwall and Devon lay claim to the invention of these moreish sweet buns. Serve with seasonal bramble curd and clotted cream for the ultimate autumn cream tea.

300ml milk, plus extra for glazing 25g fresh or 12g dried yeast 75g butter 500g strong white flour 25g caster sugar icing sugar, for dusting clotted cream, to serve

FOR THE CURD

1 Bramley apple (about 250g), peeled, cored and diced 300g blackberries 125g unsalted butter 250g caster sugar 4 medium eggs, beaten

For the curd, put the fruit in a pan and cook gently for 15 minutes. Push through a sieve into a heatproof bowl. Discard the pulp. Set the bowl of purée over a pan of gently simmering water. Add the butter and

sugar, then, when melted, add the eggs. Stir for about 20 minutes until thickened. Strain to remove eggy threads, then pour into sterilised jars and seal. The curd keeps for up to four weeks in the fridge. Heat the milk until warm. Pour a few tablespoons into a bowl and add the yeast. Mash and leave for 10 minutes until frothy. Melt the butter over a low heat in the remaining milk. Set aside to cool (it needs to be warm rather than hot). Put the flour into a large bowl with 1 tsp salt. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and stir in the yeasted mixture, milk and butter with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worksurface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1-1½ hours until doubled in size. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6. Tip the dough on the worksurface and knock back and knead for a couple of minutes. Divide into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30 minutes. Brush the buns with milk. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Dust generously with icing sugar, then serve split in half and filled with bramble curd and clotted cream. The buns can be frozen for up to a month.