Blackberry and Apple Cobbler

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 675g (11⁄2lb) Bramley apples, peeled and cored
• 225g punnet blackberries
• 110g (4oz) caster sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground mixed spice.

For the cobbler:

• 225g (8oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 pinch salt
• 85g (3oz) butter
• 30g (1oz) caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 tablespoons milk, plus a little extra to glaze
• 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar.

You will also need:

• 6cm (21⁄2") cutter

Method

Preheat your Neff oven to 160°C Conventional Heat.

1. For the filling: Cut the apples into thin slices then place in a 1.5 litre (3 pint) pie dish along with the blackberries, caster sugar and mixed spice. Mix gently, then cook on shelf 2 for 30-40 minutes, or until the apple is tender.
2. For the cobbler topping: Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, then rub in the butter and caster sugar. Mix the egg and milk together and add to the dry ingredients to form a dough. Bring the dough together with your hands, then roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 1cm (1⁄2"). Dip the cutter in flour and use to cut 10-12 circles, re-rolling the dough if necessary.
3. Turn up your Neff oven to 190°C. Arrange the dough circles on top of the fruit and glaze with a little extra milk. Sprinkle with the Demerara sugar and cook on shelf 2 for 25-30 minutes, or until the cobbler topping is well-risen, with a golden crust.
4. Cook's tip: In traditional recipes, the fruit for this deliciously old fashioned pudding is cooked first on the hob with a little water. But by roasting it using dry Conventional Heat, without adding water, the fruit keeps its shape and you get fabulously intense flavours.