Bramble Queen of Puddings

Traditionally made with raspberry jam, the queen of puddings is easily adapted to use any seasonal fruit you like. If you want to use stone fruit, halve and destone them and gently poach until just tender, before using in place of the fresh fruit and jam.

Hands-on time 15min, plus soaking. Cooking time about 1hr. Serves 8

• 40g butter, plus extra to grease

• 450ml whole milk

• 150g fresh white breadcrumbs

• 3 medium eggs, separated

• 225g caster sugar

• ½tsp vanilla extract

• 150g bramble preserve or blackberry jam

• 225g brambles or blackberries

• Finely grated zest 1 lemon and juice ½

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4 and lightly grease a 23cm round ovenproof serving dish.

In a medium pan over medium heat, bring the butter and milk to the boil. Put the breadcrumbs into a large heatproof bowl, then pour in the hot milk mixture. Stir to combine, then leave to soak for 5min.

2 In a separate bowl, using a handheld electric whisk, beat the egg yolks, 75g sugar and the vanilla until pale and thick. Scrape

into the breadcrumb bowl and stir to combine. Pour into the greased baking dish and bake for 30min, or until just set with a slight wobble.

3 In a medium pan, heat the preserve or jam until melted, then stir in the brambles or blackberries, lemon zest and juice. Remove dish from the oven and spread the warm berry mixture over the cooked breadcrumb base.

4 In a large bowl, using clean whisks, beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining 150g sugar, a spoonful at a time. Continue beating until the meringue is thick and glossy.

5 Spoon meringue over the filling, spreading gently to cover and ensuring there are no gaps between the meringue and the dish edge. Bake for 25-30min, or until golden and crisp on top. Serve hot or warm with cold cream.

PER SERVING 315cals, 6g protein, 8g fat (4g saturates), 53g carbs (45g total sugars), 2g fibre