Cinnamon and Nutmeg Apple Breadcrumb Pudding

A brilliant way to use up stale bread and dodgy apples by turning them into a nourishing and comforting pudding. This is based on a recipe in River Cottage Everyday.

For 4-6 portions you need
50g butter
6 dessert apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
100g caster sugar
175g freshly soft breadcrumbs
4 eggs
400ml milk
Nutmeg, vanilla paste and ground cinnamon

Heat the milk to boiling point. Meanwhile mix the eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla (1tsp of each) and 75g of the sugar in a bowl. Once the milk is hot, slowly pour into the egg mixture, whisking all the time, to make a thin custard. Add the breadcrumbs to the mix and set aside to steep.

Heat the butter in a pan and add the apple wedges and remaining sugar. Continue cooking until the apples are glazed.

Pour into a baking dish in a single layer:

Cover with the eggy, milky breadcrumb mixture:

And bake in a hot oven for 30 mins until it's set but still slightly wobbly in the middle. Serve hot, warm or cold and with or without a bug fat dollop of jam. Lovely and comforting. 

Sunshine in a Glass aka Apple; Blood Orange and Pineapple Juice (v)

The perfect antidote to the snow outside. A glass of perky, sweet, delicious juice that makes you feel good from the inside out. You need a juicer to make this, obviously...

For one pint of goodness take 2 oranges (peel and pith cut off), 3 apples and half a pineapple. Juice together and enjoy the radiant glow.

Apple and Banana Crumble with Nutmeg Cream

It's cold. And I have a cold. And a fruit bowl brimming with apples and bananas that needed to be eaten. So I created this and it warmed me. But it didn't cure my cold, boo.

For 4-6 portions you need
4-5 eating apples, peeled and roughly chopped into bite sized chunks
3 bananas, peeled and sliced into thick slices
2 tbsp cinnamon demerara sugar
1/2 cup jumbo oats
1/2 cup plain flour
75g cold butter, coarsely grated
1/3 cup cinnamon demerara sugar

To serve: double cream and a fresh grating of nutmeg.

Place the fruit in an oven proof dish and sprinkle over the sugar. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and place on top of the fruit. Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for 20-30 minutes until the topping is cooked and golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Serve with lightly whipped double cream topped with a fresh grating of lovely nutmeg. Yummy.

Apple, Almond and Blueberry Cake with Vanilla

Yep. You guessed it. This is yet another recipe from Mary Berry's Baking Bible. P50 this time. And another recipe made and adapted to use up the contents of my cupboard. I had no apricots so I substituted dried blueberries instead. And I also added vanilla because I adore the mix of almond and vanilla together. My boyfriend declared this cake as GORGEOUS and was rendered speechless by it's deliciousness. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

For one cake you need:
250g self raising flour
225g vanilla caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
150g butter, melted
225g peeled, cored and chopped apples. I used a mix of bramley and pink lady
100g dried blueberries
50g flaked almonds

Line a square baking tin with parchment paper. Mix everything apart from the apples, blueberries and almonds together well. Fold in the fruit and then scrape into the lined tin. Top with the flaked almonds and bake in a moderate (160 degree) oven for about an hour, till risen and golden. Leave to cool and then eat. It's nice warm or cold and also freezes well.

Apple Cake (v)

This is a not too sweet mid morning cake, the sort that would be served with good coffee in a posh coffee shop. And it's vegan. Bonus. I think it would benefit from the addition of something like walnuts in the topping so will try that next time.



For 8-10 slices you need:
225g plain flour
pinch salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb
55g vanilla sugar
4 tbsp grapeseed oil
285ml soya milk
3 dessert apples, peeled, cored and cut into small dice
55g demarara sugar
30g vegan marge
45g plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarb, vanilla sugar, oil and milk into a batter. Pour into a lined 23cm tin. Place the chopped apples on the top of the batter. Blitz the demarara sugar, flour and marge into breadcrumbs and scatter over the top of the apples. Finish with the cinnamon. Bake in a moderate (180 degrees) oven for 30-45 mins till risen, cooked and golden brown.

Apple Pie (v)

This of course could be any fruit pie, or indeed a savoury pie if you felt so inclined. The basics of the recipe remain the same: make pastry; make filling; fill; bake; eat.

For 6-8 slices you need:
700g peeled, cored and sliced cooking apples
2.5 tbsp vanilla sugar plus a little extra for the top
50g vegan marge or butter
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
250g vegan marge
500g plain flour
a little water
a little soya milk

Begin by making the pastry. In a food processor (or by hand if you don't have one) process the fat and flour till it resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running add just enough water to bring it together. Tip onto a work surface and knead very gently and briefly. Leave to rest for 30 mins or so.

Meanwhile make the filling. Place the apples, sugar and fat in a pan and heat gently for about 20 mins until most of the apple is puree but some biggish chunks still remain. Leave to cool a little.

Roll the pastry out and use it to line a pie dish. Trim the edges. Place the filling inside and then roll out the top piece. Brush the edges of the pie bottom with some soya milk and place the top on top. Crimp the edges with a fork and trim again. Brush the top of the pie with soya milk and then sprinkle over some more sugar. Make a couple of steam vents in the middle.

Place the pie on a pre-heated baking tray and bake at 190 degrees for 20 mins. reduce the heat to 170 degrees and bake for a further 25-35 mins till golden brown and cooked through. Leave to cool slightly before serving with vanilla swedish glace or vegan custard.

Slow Cooker Red Cabbage (v)

Christmas isn't Christmas without braised red cabbage :)

For 6-8 portions you need:
1 red cabbage, shredded
2 red onions, chopped
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
5 tbsp red wine vinegar
200ml apple juice
salt and pepper

Place everything in to the slow cooker and cook on low for about 5 hours till tender. You can reheat it in the slow cooker on the big day too if you want to save time and space.

Apple Chutney (v)

I am in the thick of my Christmas hamper preparations. The actual contents are a suprise, but this is a new recipe so deserves to be blogged. Sometimes all you need with your cheese is a nice dollop of tangy chutney. And this one is lovely.

For 6-8 jars you need:
900g bramley apples, cored and chopped
225g onions, chopped
340g granulated sugar
425ml white wine vinegar
110g sultanas
3 tsp mixed spice
3 tsp ground corriander
3 tsp salt

Place everything in a preserving pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 60-90 mins, until a spoon drawn across the bottom leaves no trail. Spoon into sterilised jars and leave for 2 weeks until matured. This will keep for at least a year.

Apple Crumble with Oaty Topping (v)

This is based on Jamie's recipe and is a good quick midweek pudding to fortify the soul and ward off against the cold winter horribleness.

For 3-4 people you need:
Crumble:
50g rolled oats
15g plain flour
20g caster sugar
35g vegan margarine

For the filling:
400g cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered
50g vanilla sugar
1 tbsp water

Stew the apples till soft (takes about 15 mins). Blitz the margarine with the flour and sugar and then mix through the oats. Place the apples in an ovenproof dish and top with the crumble mix. Bake for 20-30 mins and serve with vegan custard.

Nutty Apple Loaf

Guess where this recipe is from.... yeah, that's right! But it's another good one.

For 8-10 slices you need:
175g butter
140g soft brown sugar
2 tbsp strawberry jam
2 eggs
140g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100g shelled mixed nuts
100g chocolate chips
2-3 apples, peeled and cored and chopped into bite sized chunks

Begin by creaming the butter and sugar and then adding the eggs and jam. Mix in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon then fold in the apples, nuts and chocolate chips.

Scrape in to a lined loaf tin and bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 mins. Leave to cool then slice and scoff.

Quick Braised Red Cabbage (v)

We've had a lot of red cabbages lately, and I am growing tired of them as I am the only person who seems to like them. However this recipe was tried by Lex for the first time last night and (hold the front page) he loved it. Maybe it had something to do with the fact I told him he couldn't have any cos it had too much alcohol in it (a complete lie) but he tried it and loved it and now I can share my love of braised red cabbage with someone else...! This is a quick version as opposed to the one where you have to cook it for hours and hours...

For 4-6 people you need:
1 red cabbage, shredded finely
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp veg oil
2-3 good glugs red wine vinegar
2-3 good glugs sherry
salt and pepper
2 tbsp dark brown sugar

Begin by sweating the cabbage, apple and onion in the oil for about 5 mins. Add the sugar, vinegar and sherry and cook down for 15-20 mins. Season and serve. Simples.

Stewed Apples

I was going to make apple charlotte but I ran out of energy, so we ended up with just stewed apples and custard. Perfect comfort food.

It's dead simple but also dead yummy. For each person you need one large bramley apple. Peel and chop then place in a pan with 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp butter per apple. Heat and then simmer till collapsed. Stir well to beat out the lumps and serve as you wish. Hot with custard, cream or ice cream; warm with cereal/granola; pour into a buttered bread mould for a charlotte. Or just eat it a spoonful at a time from the pan till it's all gone!

Baked Apples

Did you know it's national bramley week this week? No? Well now you do! In honour of this I brought a bag with the intention to do different things with them during the week. Tonight it was the turn of a baked apple. One of my favourite desserts. However because I am dying from the world's worst cold e-v-e-r I cheated and nuked this in the microwave. I shan't be doing that again, it was nowhere near as nice as one done in the oven. You have been warned.

For each apple you need:
1 bramley apple
handful dried fruit e.g. sultanas, raisins, cranberries etc
1 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp almonds, chopped

Score the apple round the centre and then core it. Place in a baking dish and pack the hollow centre with the fruit, nuts, butter, sugar and honey (in that order). Bake in a medium oven for 30-45 mins till the apple is soft and mushy and there is a sauce from the butter, honey and sugar. Serve as is or with some ice cream, cream, mascapone etc.
If you need one NOW then cover with cling film, nuke on high for 2 mins 30 secs and eat. But like I said, it won't be as nice.

Apple Crumble

I had a craving for apple crumble and custard over the weekend. Normally crumble isn't something I make that often as we're not a big crumble family. But I really fancied it and it turned out really well, if a little souffled in the oven as the apples continued to cook down! Proper winter warming fare :)

For 8 generous servings you need:
900g peeled and chopped cooking apples
100g vanilla sugar
225g plain flour
175g butter
175g demerara sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Begin by cooking the apples in a pan over a gentle heat. This will take about 15 mins. You want them mostly pulpy with still with some lumps. Meanwhile blitz the butter and flour in a food processor till it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and cinnamon to it. Pour into a baking dish and top with the crumble mixture. Bake at 180 degrees for about 30 mins. Serve with custard. Ours came from a tin. I don't do making custard and anyway for comfort food like this you need ambrosia!