By Lucy Jones

Unlike my older sister, I always loved all fruits when growing up: especially berries with all those bits in! I took on Dad’s penchant for sour tastes too and always enjoyed picking and eating bilberries on our family holidays in Northumberland and the Lakes. Another personal favourite is raspberries: never with cream or sugar. Imagine my delight therefore, when my now mother-in-law presented me with a pudding she announced as ‘Raspberry Fluff’ one Sunday shortly after my husband and I started going out. It has a lurid pink fluffy concoction on top and under it is hidden a sour layer of raspberries encased in an opaque jelly mixture. Delicious! As the months passed I built up the courage to ask for the recipe for this Jones-family favourite. My mother-in-law replied, “Oh, it’s easy…” and told me the recipe; which I promptly forgot. It wasn’t until I was a full member of the family that she actually wrote it down for me. So, all I ask of you is…don’t tell my mother-in-law I’ve passed it on to you!

Raspberry Fluff (a useful gluten-free pudding!)

2 packets of raspberry jelly
2 eggs (separated)
2 oz caster sugar
8 oz raspberries

Dissolve the jelly in 1 pint of hot water (or each packet in 1/2 pint which makes it more likely to dissolve properly: I do this in the microwave)

Soften the raspberries over a gentle heat

Beat the egg yolks in 2 oz caster sugar until light and fluffy (in a large bowl)

Add the dissolved jelly to the egg and sugar mixture and mix together

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until peaked

Add the peaked egg whites to the jelly mixture and cut and fold until it’s mixed

Place the raspberries at the bottom of the serving bowl

Pour the mixture on top of the raspberries

Allow to set overnight