Winter Recipes with British Apples & Pears
HIX’s Baked Bramley Apples
INGREDIENTS
For the filling
4 Bramley apples 1 small egg, beaten Thick custard or double cream, to serve
30g walnuts, chopped 30g nibbed almonds 1 tbsp ground almonds 6 dates, chopped 1 tbsp raisins 2 tbsp brown sugar 3 tbsp cider brandy a good pinch of mixed spice
For the pastry 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting a pinch of salt ½ tbsp caster sugar 60g lard 25g unsalted butter METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. First, make the pastry: mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and make a well. In a pan, heat 100ml water with the lard and butter until they come to the boil, then pour on to the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to form a smooth dough. Leave the dough covered for about 15 minutes or so, until it can be handled. Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll each on a lightly floured table to about 1416cm in diameter and cut into circles large enough to cover the Bramley apples. Cut the stalk end off each Bramley apple and remove the core, making a hole about 1.5cm wide – enough to pour filling into. Mix the ingredients for the filling together and stuff into the Bramley apples. If any if left over, just spoon it on top.
Gin And Apple Pie Cocktail (One for the Grown Ups!) *This is just as delicious without the gin*
Put a Bramley apple in the centre of each piece of pastry and bring the pastry up the sides of the apple, gathering it up and pinching it together, leaving the top of the Bramley and filling exposed. Place on a baking tray, brush with the egg and bake for 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden. If the pastry starts browning too much, cover with foil. Serve hot with custard or cream. INGREDIENTS 100ml gin 80ml apple juice – 2 large apples freshly juiced 80ml cloudy ginger beer Juice half a lemon 1 tsp cinnamon sugar 1 table spoon cinnamon sugar for the edge of the glass. METHOD Dampen the rim of two glasses, dip in the cinnamon sugar and leave to dry. Juice two British apples (gala, rubens, cameo or jazz are all good for this recipe). Peel two lengths of lemon skin and score through the middle and twist, slice two thin segments of apple. Add the gin, juice, ginger beer, lemon juice and teaspoon of sugar to a cocktail mixer half filled with ice, stir (don’t shake) and serve.
www.britishapplesandpears.co.uk /british-apple-recipes/
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www.thefamilygrapevine.co.uk/west-kent www.thefamilygrapevine.co.uk/west-kent
