Words by Amy Sheppard
Irresistibly simple recipes from Amy Sheppard, championing easy-to-cook and delicious meals that don’t cost the earth.

Serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS:
375g frozen blackberries
2 dessert spoons’ light brown soft sugar
Scoops of vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
For the Topping:
60g unsalted mixed nuts
30g light brown soft sugar
40g plain flour
30g butter
Method
First, make the topping. With a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin, roughly crush the nuts into very small pieces. Stir in the sugar and flour.
Melt the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Add the nut mixture and reduce the heat to low. Stir until all the ingredients are coated in butter, then gently fry for 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the nuts are lightly toasted and the sugar has melted.
Pour the topping into a bowl and set aside. It will crisp as it cools.
Make the filling. Add the still-frozen blackberries to the pan on a medium heat and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Simmer the blackberries gently for 10 minutes, stirring regularly until they’re soft and heated through and the pan has a covering of juice.
Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the nutty topping over the blackberries, breaking it up with your hands as you go. Serve topped with scoops of ice cream, if you wish.
Tips
Using frozen blackberries means that it is easy to rustle up a last-minute throw-together dessert, perfect for when you’re busy.
Extracted from Hob by Amy Sheppard (Bloomsbury Absolute, £18.99)
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