Buttermilk pudding with blackberries, cobnuts and Kingston black

(Jason Lowe)

Although we have seen the last of the summer fruits there are still blackberries in the hedgerows for the picking. The other great ingredient in this pudding is Kingston black, one of Julian Temperley's apple brandy aperitifs which I love using in desserts (ciderbrandy.co.uk).

12g leaf gelatine (4 sheets)
350ml buttermilk
50g caster sugar
250ml double cream
250ml Kingston black
24 or so cobnuts or filberts, shelled
1-2tsp icing sugar
150-200g blackberries

Soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes until soft, then squeeze out the excess water. Bring 100ml of the buttermilk to the boil with the sugar then remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine until dissolved.

Leave to cool, then whisk into the cream, the rest of the buttermilk and 100ml of the Kingston black. Pour into shallow moulds or coffee cups and leave to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, place the cobnuts on a tray and scatter the icing sugar over. Lightly toast under a medium grill, turning them every so often until they are a little caramelised.

To serve, dip the pudding moulds very quickly in and out of hot water, then turn out on to serving plates. Scatter the blackberries and cobnuts around the puddings and spoon around the rest of the Kingston black.