Versatile Autumn apples are perfect for comforting Winter puddings, cakes and pies. Here's three delicious Fall recipes to chase away those Winter blues.
This Polish version of the versatile Apple Cake is also a popular Jewish recipe, with the addition of orange juice in place of milk. If has therefore travelled far from its roots but still retains its traditional delicious flavour and spicy aroma.
Polish Apple Cake
375g/13oz self-raising flour
3-4 large cooking apples
10ml/2 tsp ground cinnamon
500g/1¼ lb caster sugar
4 eggs beaten lightly
250ml/8fl oz vegetable oil
120ml/4fl oz orange juice
10ml/2 tsp vanilla essence
2.5ml/½ tsp salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Grease a 30 x 38cm/12 x 15in square cake tin, then dust with a little of the flour
Core and thinly slice the unpeeled apples
Put sliced apples in a bowl and mix with cinnamon and 75m/5 tbsp of the sugar
In separate bowl beat together eggs, rest of the sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice and vanilla essence.
Sift in remaining flour and salt and stir into the mixture
Pour two-thirds of cake mixture into the prepared tin, cover with one-third of the apples.
Pour over the remaining cake mixture and top with remaining apple.
Bake for one hour, or until golden.
The cake should be left to cool in the tin.
Serve warm.
Unbelievably comforting!
Apple and Fig Crumble
Here’s a variation on an old favourite, Apple Crumble, which should serve three to four people and is delicious served with either traditional custard or pouring cream.
Crumble
50g/20z wholewheat flour
40g/1½oz porridge oats
16g/½oz desiccated coconut
50g/2oz melted butter
Six drops vanilla essence
Filling
125g/4oz chopped figs
150ml/¼ pint water
225g/8oz cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced.
Directions:
Pre-heat over to Gas 5, 375°F, 190°C
Mix crumble ingredients together
Put figs in a pan with water and simmer for 5 minutes
Combine the apples and figs in an oven dish and pour over remaining fig juice
Sprinkle crumble mixture on top and bake near top of oven for 25-30 minutes.
Traditional Malvern Apple Pudding
As the name suggests, this recipe originated in Worcestershire, famous for its apples. Cooking apples (Russets are nice) are used in this recipe, but you can use sweet eating apples too. This pudding freezes well and is best frozen as soon as it is cold, making sure it is covered with fresh paper and foil. To reheat, thaw first, and then steam or boil in a basin for approx half an hour. A microwave may defrost quicker, which the writer hasn't tried.
25g/4oz butter
125g/4oz sugar
2 beaten eggs
125g/4oz plain or self-raising flour
A pinch of salt
2 medium Russet apples peeled and cored
Grated rind of 1 lemon
50g/2oz currants
2 or 3 tbsp brandy
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar
Add the beaten egg
Fold in the flour and salt
Peel, core and chop the apples and mix with lemon rind, currants and brandy
Grease a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin.
Put a square of greased, greaseproof paper on the bottom of the basin
Put mixture into the basin and cover with greaseproof paper and foil, securing with string if desired
Steam the pudding for 1½ to 2 hours using a steamer or an upturned saucer in a saucepan with a lid. Pour boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin and keep an eye on it, adding more water when necessary.
The copyright of the article Three Traditional Apple Recipes for Fall Baking in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Kathleen Duffy. Permission to republish Three Traditional Apple Recipes for Fall Baking in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.