By Melissa Corkhill
01st October 2015
BAKED APPLES
What you need
4 medium apples (preferably cooking apples); 50g pecan nuts; 40g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes; 4 tbsp honey; 50ml water for baking
What to do
1 Pre heat the oven to 200°C, GM 6. Grease an ovenproof dish. Wash the apples well and remove the cores.
2 Using a sharp knife, make a cut just through the skin going completely around the widest part of the apples. Place the apples in the dish, they should fit quite snugly, and push half the pecans into the hollows. Add the butter cubes to the hollows, then top up with the rest of the pecans and drizzle over the honey.
3 Pour 50ml water around the base of the apples and then bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the apples just start to split and slightly puff up: but do not overcook. They will look and smell great. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes.
4 Serve in deep bowls with yoghurt or custard and spoon over the buttery juices from the baking dish.
APPLE BREAD
What you need
2 (500g) large apples; 100g butter; 450g strong brown bread flour; 450g strong white bread flour; 3 tsp salt; 1 sachet easy-blend yeast; 50g caster sugar (or honey); 1 egg yolk, for glazing
What to do
1 Peel and core the apples, then cut into 2cm dice. Put in a frying pan with 25g of the butter and fry over a high heat for 2-3 minutes or until the apples are golden brown
2 Place the brown and white flour and salt in a large bowl. In a small pan, melt the remaining 75g of butter, then set aside to cool slightly
3 Place the easy blend yeast, caster sugar and melted butter in with the flour mixture. Add 175ml tepid water, a little at a time, and using your hands bring the flour mixture together to make a kneadable dough. Now add the cooled apple cubes.
4 If the dough seems too dry and will not hold together, add a small amount of water. If it seems too wet, add a little more flour.
5 On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough for 10-15 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Put it back into the bowl, cover with lightly oiled cling film and place in a warm area until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
6 On a lightly floured surface, knead the apple dough again for about a minute. Divide into 4 pieces, shape into round loaves and place on a lightly oiled baking tray. Allow to prove for about 30 minutes then, using a pastry brush, glaze the loaves with the lightly whisked egg yolk. Bake in the oven at 180ºC/ fan 160ºC/ gas 4 for 35 minutes. Remove the loaves and tap on the bottom to make sure they sound hollow. If not, bake for a few more minutes.
7 Transfer the apple loaves to a wire rack and leave to cool. Serve the apple bread with a cheeseboard.
APPLE AND BLACKBERRY PIE
What you need
75g coconut sugar or brown sugar, plus 1tsp extra; 1tsp mixed spice; 1tbsp ground almonds, plus a little extra for rolling out; Grated rind and juice of 1 orange; 650g cooking apples; 150g blackberries; 350g sweet shortcrust pastry (we like the recipe on the back of Doves Farm gluten free flour); 1 medium egg, beaten
What to do
1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan oven) gas mark 6. Mix together the sugar, spice, flour and orange zest.
2 Peel and core the apples, then cut into thick slices. Put in a bowl and pour over the orange juice.
3 Put half the apple slices and blackberries in the base of a 20cm pie dish and sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. Add the remaining apples and blackberries, then cover with the remaining sugar mixture and pour over any orange juice left in the bowl.
4 Cut off 25g pastry and roll out on a lightly floured board into a thin 1.25cm strip – you can do this in two or three pieces if you like. Dampen the edge of the pie dish with a little water then put the thin strip of pastry along the edge.
5 Roll out the remaining pastry to make a round to fit the top of the pie. Dampen the thin pastry strip with water, then lift up the pie top using the rolling pin and cover the pie. Trim any excess pastry from the edge. Use the prongs of a fork to seal the pastry edges together.
6 Brush the whole of the pie with beaten egg, sprinkle over 1tsp granulated sugar, then cut two holes in the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 180ºC (160C fan oven) gas mark 4 and continue to cook for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
To serve…Cool for 5min, then serve warm with cream, custard or ice cream.
With thanks to BramleyApples.co.uk for their delicious recipes
