‘Family, Food and Feelings by Kate Berry, Published by Plum, RRP $39.99, Photography by Kate Berry’

“When we lived in the hills, every autumn the girls and I kept a close eye on the roadside apple trees, checking on their progress and making sure no one had swooped in before us. It was a game of luck. Sometimes we’d get in first; sometimes we’d lose to another apple poacher, or to the birds. But when we did win, it was on. We’d park the car under
the tree, grab the baskets from the boot and take our positions: Pepper on the roof for the higher apples, me on the boot and Maya at ground level.
As for blackberries, well those guys were just everywhere, and they’re prickly. So even though they taste delicious, they just weren’t as fun. But I do love the metaphor that can be found somewhere within the hostile blackberry bush … with a little care and time you’re rewarded with something sweet and delicious.” p115

180 g (1½ cups) spelt flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
55 g (½ cup) hazelnut meal
155 g (2/3 cup) brown sugar
3 free-range eggs
100 g coconut oil
150 g plain yoghurt
2 apples (we’d use whatever variety we happened to find), cored and cut into eighths
200 g blackberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Line a lamington tin with baking paper.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a mixing bowl.

Stir in the hazelnut meal and set aside.

Place the sugar and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk for 5 minutes or
until thick and pale. Add the coconut oil and yoghurt and whisk until well combined.

Gently fold the flour mixture into the yoghurt mixture until just combined – take care not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out nicely. Arrange the apples in an even layer on top of the batter, then squish the blackberries in between.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden on top and firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely in the tin, then cut into squares and serve.

SERVES 16