Apples galore...Sweet or savoury recipe?

Sarah Bainbridge
Nov 4, 2015
2 min read

We eat a lot of apples in our house...but we're struggling to get through the copious amounts that are being gifted from our friends and relatives trees in Somerset & Sussex. It was the wettest ever winter last year which is responsible for a bumper apple crop this year! And West country apple producers have been reaping the knock-on benefits from the biblical downpours that caused the Somerset Levels flood disaster in 2013/2014 (every cloud has a silver lining).

Many of our apples are windfall from Granny Angela's single gorgeous apple tree in Somerset (where Tom has a den and likes to hang out with Jay-J the cat).

Windfall apples need to be used quickly so we've been having an apple-tastic feast in our house...Here's 2 of my favourite, easy, apple based recipes;

Black Pudding, Caramelised Apples & Walnuts

This is such a yummy lunch or perfect autumnal dinner party appetiser.

Peel, core & cut an apple into 8 slices. Add a couple of tbsp of icing sugar to a saucepan to create a thin layer and let it melt over a low heat (don't stir). When it started to brown add the apple and caramelise. After about 5 mins add 15g of butter and turn apples in it and remove from heat before they go mushy.

Toast 30g of walnuts in a hot oven (180 degrees) for 5 mins (don't let them burn) and whilst they're cooling pop 80g of sliced black pudding (as thick as little finger) into the oven, move them up to a grill after 5 mins to crisp up.

Pop everything together in a bowl. Serves 2.

Somerset Apple Cake with Honey

My Mum made an infamous apple cake that I've been trying to replicate for the last 20 years! This recipe is the closest I have come to it...

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Cream 100g unsalted butter and 175g of soft brown sugar. Add 2 beaten eggs. Sift in 225g plain flour, 1tsp cinnamon & 2tsp baking powder. Then fold in 450g of peeled, cored & chopped apples and 4tbsp milk.

Bake in a medium cake tin for 50mins-1hr (check with skewer). Allow to cool and drizzle with honey & sprinkle with sugar.