Sloe pudding

Ingredients

• 200 g sloes
• 1 tbsp blackberry jam
• 175 g unsalted butter
• 150 g soft light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp sloe gin
• 235 g self-raising flour
• pinch salt
• caster sugar, to taste
• sweetened whipped cream, to serve

Method

1. Pick over and wash the sloes, then place in a pan and just cover with water.
2. Bring to the boil and simmer gently on the stove until the sloes break down and become pulpy.
3. Drain and rub through a sieve into a clean pan.
4. Discard the stones, reheat the sloes and sweeten to taste with caster sugar.
5. Leave to cool.
6. Butter a 2-litre pudding basin and place a disc of baking parchment in the bottom.
7. Mix 2 heaped tablespoons of the sloes with the blackberry jam.
8. Spoon the mixture into the base of the basin and smooth up the sides a little.
9. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
10. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, then add the gin.
11. Sieve the flour and salt together and fold into the butter and egg mixture.
12. The mixture should be of a dropping consistency: if it's a little dry mix in a little milk to slacken it.
13. Spoon on top of the jam in the basin and level off with a spatula.
14. Cover with a disc of buttered parchment, then with pleated foil and steam for 1½ - 2 hours.
15. When cooked, turn onto a serving plate and leave to stand for a few minutes before unmoulding.
16. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.