The other day my next door neighbour send me over some apples that she couldn't use. I already had a few apples of my own so I decided to combine the two and make a tasty dessert that both of us could share. (I broke it up into two baking dishes.) 

I love cooking with apples and apple desserts.  One of my favourite apple desserts has to be Apple Crumble.  Or Apple Crisp as it is also called!

 

My neighbour was happyher apples were going to be used.  Todd was happy he was going to get an apple dessert.  It was a win/win.  

 

Apple desserts are Todd's favourite desserts of all time.  He just loves it when I make him an apple dessert.

 

When it comes to an apple dessert you can't get much better than an apple crumble. I like the ones with the Oats in the crumble most of all.  

 

For some reason they seem more wholesome, and almost healthier . . .  although they really aren't.  Sugar is sugar.  But we won't think about that right now. 

 

Ingredients are being rationed in our house at the moment.  Things like flour and sugar are in limited supply and I am not sure when I will be able to get more.  Thank you Pandemic 2020.

 

 Any dessert or bake where I can cut the use of the flour down by mixing it with oats is a good choice for us. Who knows how long it will be before we can get some.

 

I don't know about you, but when it comes to a crumble its all about the topping! That streusel topping is what makes the whole dessert! 

I love the crisp butteriness of them.  I love the chewy bits on the edges.  I love that wholesome flavour of the oats.  There is just nothing about the streusel topping that I don't love!

 

I have to say I prefer streusel toppings that contain oats more than the plain ones.  They are just more toothsome and have an almost nutty flavour! 

When I was  child my mother could not get me to eat oatmeal for breakfast. Not for love nor money.  Clearly she should have been trying to get me eat streusel with oats instead of oatmeal! She might have had more success!!

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  To me enjoying an apple crumble is  having a tasty oatmeal cookie crumbled over a delicious fruit filling.  

 

Who can possibly resist that?  Not me, that's who!  And I won't be lying to you. My hips know it.

 

You want to use a really nice flavoured apple in this dessert.  Today I used a mixture of Pink Ladies, Granny Smiths and another eating apple.  They worked together beautifully! 

They were a lovely mix of sweet and tart. Normally for baking tart apples work the best because they break down the best, but this is a great combination also.

 

You want to use apples that are going to maintain their integrity in the bake. You don't want apples that are going to lose their texture completely.

 

At the same time you want apples that will cook through and not be hard. Its nice to have some chunks, but not hard chunks. You want your teeth to be able to melt down into the chunks if that makes sense.

 

The use of orange and lemon zests adds an additional layer of flavour to the filling along with their juices.  This helps to keep the colour of the apples pure as well.  

 

Not that I am bothered about seeing brown apples in a crumble.  Its really the taste of them that matters most.

 

There is also some cinnamon and nutmeg for additional flavour.  All of these flavours go very well together.  

 

Lemon, orange, cinnamon, apples.   The combination makes for a very delicious filling indeed.  I just love it.

    

What you serve it with is up to you.  All we had on this particular day was cream.  You can also enjoy this wish warm custard sauce, or scoops of vanilla ice cream (my favourite!). 

Todd is a fan of the custard sauce or cream.  I do have to say that most warm desserts here in the UK are served with the option of both or one or the other.  I thought it was really strange when I first moved over here, but it is an option I quickly warmed to.

 

Well, this is a different Easter weekend than we all planned on having this year I reckon.  At least the weather is nice.  Don't let that tempt you to go out travelling however.  

 

Lets all be reponsible and stay home so that we can help our Health Care System out.  I know that we are all a bit bored now with this staying home lark, but trust me, it will be worth it in the long run. 

 

This won't last forever and before too long (God willing) it will be nothing more than a bad memory.  Stay home. Stay safe. Stay healthy and Happy Easter.

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 Baked Apples one of the comfort foods we like to enjoy in the Winter months.  Apples are plentiful and at their best. We don't mind having the oven on, and they are delicious and very easy to do.

 

I had recently gotten some fabulous Organic Dried Cranberries and Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks from Buy Wholefoods Online and I felt they would be perfect for using in this simple and easy dessert. If you are not familiar with Buy Whole Foods Online you really need to look them up. I buy all of my dried fruit from them every year for my Christmas Cakes, and other bits and bobs throughout the year. Buy Whole Foods Online is an international health food supplier, based in Minster, Ramsgate, North East Kent. They deliver top quality natural and organic wholefoods, and related healthy living products, directly to homes and businesses across the UK and Europe. I have always been very happy with both their products and their service.

 

Baked apples make for a lovely breakfast treat or a dessert for after your dinner. I think they are very homey and comforting. You can bake just about any apple, but today I chose to use Pink Ladies as that is what I had in the refrigerator.  You will need to core them.

 

I have an apple corer, but today I also wanted to keep the bottoms intact, so I just used it to punch a whole down into the apple almost through to the bottom and then I used a metal 1/4 tsp measure to scoop out the core and enough surrounding apple to give me a one inch cavity down most of the length of the apple.

 

You need plenty of room to hold a cinnamon stick and that buttery cranberry, oat and maple filling! There's a bit of freshly grated nutmeg in there as well. I like to buy my nutmegs whole.  They last forever and freshly grated nutmeg is far superior to the already grated stuff you can buy.  At Buy Wholefoods you can buy anywhere from 125g up to 1 kg.   (It would take you a long time to use the larger amount.)

 

I always cut a really shallow line into the apple all the way around it horizontally.  This helps to prevent the apple from bursting when it is baking.  You will see it when you first take the apple out of the oven, but once the apple settles it disappears pretty much.

  

 You could of  use ground cinnamon but I really like the way that a whole cinnamon stick uses in these.  You don't eat it of course, but it does impart a nice cinnamon flavour to the whole apple and when you are done you can use add it to a saucepan along with some orange peel, whole cloves, star anise and water to make a natural air freshener.  When we had the wood stove I always had a container filled with this simmering on the back of the stove all winter through.  It made the house smell gorgeous and put some moisture into the air at the same time.  Wood fires can be so drying.

 

Isn't that pretty!  You stuff around the cinnamon stick with the oat, maple and cranberry stuffing. It helps to hold the cinnamon stick in place and adds even more lovely flavours to the apples.

 

They bake in a small baking dish along with some boiling water and a bit of Maple Syrup.  This forms a bit of a sauce when all is said and done, which is lovely spooned over the finished apples.

  

Depending on the apples you use it will take anywhere from between 40 minutes to an hour for them to bake to a nice softness  . . . I like them to be just soft enough to easily push the tip of a sharp knife into them.

 

These were done just right in about 45 minutes.  Take them out after about 40 and check them. If you think they are still hard, cover them up and pop them back in for a little bit longer.  Nobody enjoys a hard baked apple.

 

I have given quantities today for only two, but you can of course double or triple the amounts if you want more.

  

These were just perfect with some double cream poured into the bowl with them, but custard or vanilla ice cream would also be nice. In all truth they are also very tasty just on their own.

  

I bet I probably bake apples at least once a week in the Winter months. Todd just loves them and as far as dessert goes, they are not all that unhealthy.  Low in sugar and fat, and high in fibre too! 

 

I got a few other things from Buy Whole Foods.  Organic Barley Flour, (which I am going to make some bread with),Pickling Spice (I am thinking pickled carrots here or red onions.  It is also great with red cabbage), Turmeric Powder (Fabulous to give you brilliant colour in a curry and  also has a great many other health benefits) and Brewers Yeast, which is another great nutritional supplement.  Try it mixed into your hot drinks or smoothies.  It is a great source of chromium which can help control your blood sugar levels. You can also add it to baked goods. 

I really would like to recommend you checking out Buy Wholefoods Online!  They are a wonderful and affordable source for nuts, seeds, fruits, health supplements, herbs, spices, personal care and alternative therapies, speciality foods, Japanese foods, dried vegetables, coconut and a whole lot more!  Their prices are very reasonable and their delivery service impeccable. They have been my go-to for a lot of things over these last few years because I can trust them, and I think you will too! 

 

A  lot of us are going to be entertaining people in our home over the next month or so.  Some of them may even be staying overnight.  

When I have people overnight, one thing I like to do is to serve them a special breakfast in the morning when everyone is up and about. 

 

I don't think you can get much nicer than a beautiful Apple Puff Pancake.  

It cooks in one pan and will feed six, and you don't have to stand over top of it while it is cooking like you do regular pancakes.

 

You can throw it together, pop it into an oven and then sit down and enjoy a hot drink or a glass of juice with your guests.

 

Its really very simple to do.  If you are thinking ahead, you can take the milk and eggs out of the refrigerator as soon as you get up so that they are at room temperature, but no worries if you haven't had the forethought to do that.  

I give you instructions on how to do that very quickly in the notes of the recipe.

 

I like to use Granny Smith apples for this. They have a lovely sweet/tart flavour and they hold their shape well when cooking.

 

You don't want apples to settle into mush . . .  you want to see the pieces in there!

 

I like to use my iron skillet as it moves very well from oven to table top.  Its oven proof and is quite attractive.

 

It also holds the heat well, so your pancake won't cool off too quickly if you have stragglers who take their time getting to the table.

 

Just make sure you warn your guests not to touch the handle as it will be very hot.  

Even better, wrap the handle in an attractive tea towel or get one of those handle shaped pot holders.  Better safe than sorry.

 

You butter the skillet really well with real butter.  I don't like butter substitutes if I can help it.  There is no substitute for the flavour of real butter  . . .

 

The apples are peeled, sliced and tossed together with some sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  These get dumped into the buttered pan. 

 Its okay if they look lopsided and some end up sticking out of the batter.

 

These bits will get a bit caramelised and add not only to the beauty of the finished dish, but also to the flavour.

 

Other than that all you need to do then is to beat together the pancake batter and pour it over the apples in the skillet. It won't cover them all as I said, that's okay.

 

Gently shake the pan back and forth with the handle to help the pancake batter settle into the pan and then just bang the whole thing into the oven.

 

Now put out some rashers of streaky bacon on a lined baking sheet, and set it aside until about 15 minutes before the pancake is  done and go have a sit down with your company for a few.

 

Pop the pan of bacon into the oven about 15 minutes before the pancake is done and set the table. Fill a pouring jug with some pure Maple Syrup.

   

Let the pancake sit for about 10 minutes before you serve it. It looks really pretty dusted with some icing sugar.  Cut it into wedges to serve along with some crisp bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup. Oh boy, some good!

 

If you really wanted to be festive you could add some fresh or dried cranberries to the apples before you pour the batter over top, but trust me when I tell you it is pretty perfect just as it is!