Apple fritters with blackberries and mascarpone cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds from the centre. Combine the seeds with the mascarpone cheese and beat in the egg yolks and icing sugar.

2. Tip the blackberries in an ovenproof dish and dollop over the mascarpone cheese mixture. Bake for 5-8 minutes - until the cheese is just beginning to firm-up.

3. While the blackberries are in the oven, prepare the batter. Sieve the flour into a bowl and whisk in enough cider to make a batter - it should have the consistency of double cream.

4. Dust the apple rings in plain flour before dipping in the batter. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan, and when hot, fry the apple rings, in batches, until golden brown. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

5. Serve the hot apple rings with a generous spoonful of the warm blackberry and mascarpone cream.