wild blackberries and the inevitable crumble

Yummy - and free! This past weekend I went blackberry picking in the English countryside, returning with a kilo (nearly 2 pounds) worth of the dark purple lovelies.

I could have been healthy I suppose - and eaten them as is, like I did while I was picking them. But I couldn't resist the urge to make a blackberry crumble. Not the healthiest choice, really - after all, you need butter, flour and sugar for the topping - and more sugar for the stewing.

But I can recommend this little tip for not overdoing it at dessert time: make the crumble in ramekins. It ensures you don't help yourself to that oversized piece - and means greedy people can't take your crumble topping "accidentally".

Haven't made a crumble before? Try this recipe, which is about as simple as it gets.