Serves 6 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 2 hrs
125g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
125g caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
125g self-raising flour
5 tbsp milk
300g blackberries
85g granulated sugar
150ml vegetarian red wine
Old fashioned bramble pudding
1. Butter a 1.2-litre ovenproof pudding bowl or soufflé dish and line the bottom with a small disc of baking parchment. You will need a saucepan large enough to contain the bowl or dish and cover it with a lid. Pour 2–3cm of water into the pan.
2. Beat the butter and caster sugar together in a food mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then fold in the flour with the milk, until smooth.
3. Put about a third of the blackberries into the buttered bowl. Spoon the pudding mixture over the berries; it should come no higher than three-quarters of the way up the bowl. Cover the bowl with a piece of foil, pleated in the middle to allow room for expansion, and crunch the foil around the edge of the bowl to seal.
4. Bring the water in the saucepan to the boil, lower the pudding bowl into it and put the lid on. Reduce the heat so the water is just simmering. Steam for 1½–2 hours, checking from time to time and adding a little more boiling water if necessary.
5. Meanwhile, put the granulated sugar and wine in a pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat, bring to the boil and reduce the quantity of liquid by about half. Add the remaining berries and simmer until just cooked. Rub the fruit through a sieve to purée and remove the seeds.
6. Run a knife around the pudding and turn it out on to a warmed serving plate. Serve with the blackberry purée and cream, custard or ice cream.