EASY BLACKBERRY JAM

Makes approx 2 x 400g jars

• 1kg (2lb 4oz) blackberries
• 600g (1lb 5oz) jam sugar with pectin
• Juice of 2 lemons

Put the blackberries in a large pan. Sprinkle with the sugar and mix gently. Cover and allow to sit for a few hours or overnight. This allows the sugar to melt so that the jam will cook more quickly.

Place a small saucer in the freezer – you’ll use it to check the setting point of the jam.

When ready to cook, stir the fruit mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the saucer from the freezer, drop a teaspoon of jam on it and allow to cool for 1 minute.

Push the jam with your finger – if it wrinkles, it’s ready; if not, boil for 4-5 minutes, then test again. If you have a sugar thermometer, the setting point is 105°C.

Once it’s reached setting point, stir the lemon juice through.

Bubble for 2 minutes more, then cool. Spoon into sterilised jars. Secure with a lid and store in the fridge for up to a month.

BLACKBERRY AND PEAR CRUMBLE

Serves 6

• 4 pears, peeled, left whole
• 300g (10½oz) blackberries
• 100g (3½oz) caster sugar
• Ice cream or cream, to serve
• For the crumble
• 100g (3½oz) cold butter
• 150g (5½oz) plain flour
• 100g (3½oz) demerara sugar
• 50g (1¾oz) hazelnuts, chopped
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Place the pears in a large pan, top with boiling water and poach gently for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and cool, then chop into large chunks, discarding the core.

Tip the pears into a large bowl with the blackberries. Stir in the sugar, then spoon into a pie dish (approx 25cm x 20cm).

For the crumble, in a bowl rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, nuts and zest, if using. Squeeze together so it’s a little lumpy and spoon evenly over the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with ice cream or cream.

COOK’S TIP 

You could use apples instead of pears and add a handful of oats to the crumble mixture for a crunchy topping.

BAKED BLACKBERRY CHEESECAKE

Serves 8

For the base

• 100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• 300g (10½oz) ginger biscuits

For the filling

• 300g (10½oz) blackberries
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 500g (1lb 2oz) full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 180g (6¼oz) caster sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 125ml (4fl oz) double cream
• 2tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 3. Grease a 22cm diameter springform tin with butter and line the base with parchment.

In a food processor, crush the biscuits to fine crumbs (or place in a bag and bash with a rolling pin). Tip into a bowl and stir in the melted butter. Spoon into the prepared tin and spread evenly, pressing the mixture firmly into the base. Chill while you prepare the filling.

Place the blackberries in a bowl, reserving 8 to decorate. Stir in the flour and set aside. Halve the reserved blackberries.

In a second bowl, using an electric whisk, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream and vanilla, and mix to combine. Fold in the blackberry and flour mixture, rippling it through with a spoon to create a marbled effect. Pour the mixture evenly over the biscuit base and press the reserved blackberry halves into the top.

Bake for 50 minutes-1 hour, until set around the edges with a slight wobble in the centre. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely and then chill before serving.

COOK’S TIP 

If you prefer, you could use regular digestives for the biscuit base and add the zest of ½ a lemon to the filling.

BLACKBERRY LEMON FOOL

Serves 4

• 200g (7oz) blackberries
• 2tbsp icing sugar
• Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
• 250ml (9fl oz) double cream
• 4 shortbread biscuits or fingers, broken in half

Place half the blackberries into a pan with the icing sugar, lemon juice and half the zest. Simmer until the berries have broken down a little and you have a chunky sauce. Allow to cool.

When ready to serve, whip the cream to soft peaks, then swirl through the cooled blackberry sauce. Spoon into four dessert glasses and sprinkle with the remaining blackberries and lemon zest. Top with the biscuits and serve immediately.

COOK’S TIP 

You could use thick Greek yoghurt instead of the double cream, if you prefer a lower-calorie version.

OLLY SMITH: OUR BUBBLE DRINKS EXPERT 

JOYOUS WITH JAM 

Amarula Cream Liqueur (17%, 70cl) £13.50, Sainsbury’s

Creamy, sweet and pleasingly zesty, this is a silky delight to pour chilled into white wine glasses from the freezer and drink alongside the Blackberry Jam.

CRUMBE CRACKER 

Brown Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora 2022 (9.5%, 37.5cl) £8.50, Tesco

This luscious, sweetly scented dessert wine is sheer class served chilled or over crushed ice with the Blackberry And Pear Crumble.

Pictured left: Creamy, sweet and pleasingly zesty, this is a silky delight to pour chilled into white wine glasses from the freezer and drink alongside the Blackberry Jam. Right: This luscious, sweetly scented dessert wine is sheer class served chilled or over crushed ice with the Blackberry And Pear Crumble

Seifried Sweet Agnes Riesling 2019 (10.5%, half bottle) £16.99, laithwaites.co.uk Splash out on this zingy bottle of concentrated deliciousness. A small tot served cold is all you need to champion the Baked Blackberry Cheesecake

Left: The plush berry depth of this stellar South African rosé echoes the fruit of – and zings wonderfully with – the Blackberry Lemon Fool. Right: An excellently fruity prosecco with elite splendour. Stunning with berries and an instant mood-lifter!

CHEESECAKE CHAMPION 

Seifried Sweet Agnes Riesling 2019 (10.5%, half bottle) £16.99, laithwaites.co.uk

Splash out on this zingy bottle of concentrated deliciousness. A small tot served cold is all you need to champion the Baked Blackberry Cheesecake.

LUSCIOUS WITH LEMON 

Graham Beck Rosé Brut (12%) £13.99, reduced from £16.99 until Tuesday, Waitrose

The plush berry depth of this stellar South African rosé echoes the fruit of – and zings wonderfully with – the Blackberry Lemon Fool.

BRILL WITH BLACKBERRIES 

La Marca Extra Dry Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG (11%) £14.99, or £12.99 in a Mix Six, Majestic

An excellently fruity prosecco with elite splendour. Stunning with berries and an instant mood-lifter!

ncG1vNJzZmhqZGy7psPSmqmorZ6Zwamx1qippZxemLyue82erqxnlqeyr6%2FHZqOar52WuKa%2B0maemqyYmr9uss6rZJplmJ7AtbvRoppmrp%2Bpsm7Ax5qrZq%2BZobluucCknGaZkqS%2FtbXOp2SaZZOku7TAyK2sraGfo66tedGinqGsXw%3D%3D