Tag: Apple

Apple almond pudding

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

The cosiest of puddings – a layer of tart cooked apple topped with a sweet, dense almond sponge.

  • 3 bramley apples
  • 40g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 eating apple
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 110g unsalted butter, softened
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 110g ground almonds
  1. Pre-heat oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Peel and core the apples. Slice the bramleys into half moons and finely dice the eating apples
  3. Place the bramley slices in a saucepan with the brown sugar and 2 tbsp cold water. Simmer gently until softened but not collapsed, stirring occasionally
  4. Tip the cooked apples into a deep ceramic baking dish and gently stir in the diced apple and cinnamon
  5. In a bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy
  6. Beat in the eggs a little at a time to avoid the mixture splitting
  7. When the mixture is light, airy and creamy, gently fold in the ground almonds
  8. Carefully spread this mixture over the apples and smooth the surface out
  9. Bake for an hour until the top is deeply golden and set.
  10. Serve warm with some vanilla ice cream

Dried apple rings

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

I like making these on a drizzly day. They make the house smell of cosy, appley happiness. Excellent for using up a glut of apples, whether it’s because you have a prolific tree or you just pressed the wrong button on your online grocery shopping

  • Apples (probably no more than 4 unless you have a big oven…)
  1. Peel and core the apples. As much as I don’t advocate for buying unecessary gadgets, this is MUCH easier if you have an apple corer
  2. Slice the apples thinly into rounds about 3-5mm thick
  3. Arrange the apple slices on a baking tray (probably a number of baking trays) in a single layer
  4. Heat the oven to 50C fan (60-70C)
  5. Bake for around 6 hours, turning the slices over every hour or so
  6. They’re done when they’re still bendy but leathery in texture without any spongy, damp bits. Smaller, thinner slices will be done first, so you can take them out as they are done
  7. Cool completely before sticking them smugly in a jar on a prominent shelf because they look so pretty and you just made them yourself

These will last for ages as long as no-one in your house sneakily scoffs them when you’re not looking. An excellent snack on their own or an excellent addition to apple cinnamon muffins.

Pork chops with apples

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Comforting, appley, mustardy yumminess. Quick and straightforward as a weeknight supper. Feeds 2.

  • 2-4 pork steaks
  • 1 onion, sliced finely into half moons
  • 1 eating apple, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced
  • 1 tbsp garlic oil
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 200ml single cream
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil in a deep pan over a high heat
  2. Brown the pork steaks quickly and remove from the pan
  3. Turn the heat down, add the onion and apple to the pan and cook gently until softened
  4. Add mustard and cream and stir together. Season well
  5. Nestle the pork in the appley oniony creamy sauce and pop the lid on
  6. Simmer for 15-20 mins until the pork is cooked through

Serve with rice and green beans

Apple crumble

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Like a hug from your favourite person.

  • 5 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1 eating apple, peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 240g (2 cups) plain flour
  • 200g (1 cup) soft light brown sugar
  • 160g softened, unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  1. Pre-heat oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Mix together flour, brown sugars, butter and cinnamon, rubbing the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
  3. Sprinkle the caster sugar and lemon juice over the sliced apple and mix together. Place the sugary apple in a wide, ovenproof dish, evenly distributed
  4. Spread over the crumble topping evenly. Press down gently with your fingers
  5. Bake for an hour. Maybe pop a baking tray on the shelf below just in case there are any small eruptions!
  6. Cool for 10 mins before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

You can add fruit such as cooked rhubarb or strawberries (with a sprinkle of flour to absorb the liquid). Or make it with peaches or apricots, and mix some flaked almonds and crushed amaretti biscuits into the crumble topping.