Cooking with kids: Cherry pudding

Serves four

350g cherries
80g self-raising flour
40g caster sugar
25g ground almonds
1 egg
300ml milk

1 Wash the cherries and stone them (see below).

2 Lightly grease a shallow oven-proof dish. Put the stoned cherries into the greased dish.

3 Measure the flour, sugar and almonds into a large bowl and make a hole in the centre.

4 Break the egg into a small bowl, then pour it into the 'flour hole' in the mixing bowl. Pour half the milk on to the egg and use a wooden spoon or balloon whisk to gently beat the liquids into the dry ingredients.

5 Gradually add the rest of the milk and beat until the batter is smooth.

6 Use a ladle to pour the batter over the cherries.

7 Bake in the oven, 220°C/ Gas 7, for 20-25 minutes until the batter has risen and is golden.

Note:

If you do not have a cherry de-stoner (often found on a garlic press) run a sharp knife around the centre of the cherry (not through the stalk) and twist the cherries to separate the halves and remove the stone. Otherwise, leave the stones in the cherries and sing the nursery rhyme.