:AUTUMN APPLE PUDDING

The perfect harvest pudding....

Layers of spiced apple puree, cinnamon or ginger yoghurt & Chantilly Cream
delicously bridge the Indian-Summer/Definitely-Autumn gap

Belsize's popular green grocer Pomona (opposite Belsize Park station) has managed to get hold of some well-priced fresh English apples.  They're small - hence the great price of £1.50 a kilo - but taste just-picked, lovely and crisp and crunchy.  (And, if I'm not mistaken, they're unwaxed!)

67's created a layered apple pudding to fill the gap between summer puddings and the crumbles and pies that'll appear when autumn really settles in.  

It's a great dessert for Sunday lunch.  There are a few simple steps but much of it is completed in stages, ahead of time.  And you can get the kids involved.

The original recipe called for crushed biscuits but options were added after 67 tasters suggested a layer of cake or whole biscuits instead of crumbs. 

Cost: £1.50'ish

Serves: 2 greedy or 4 normal portions  (recipe doubles nicely) 

Ingreds:

   5xsmall crunchy apples, washed & cored

   knob of butter

   splash of water

   1/3 tsp powdered cinnamon or ginger or 1/4 tsp finely grated peeled ginger

  6-8 small or 4-6 large ginger nuts, crushed or left whole OR 1-2 thick slices of gingerbread cake

  100gm/3.5oz unsweetened thick yoghurt (frugal: make-your-own, see bottom of Dressings page)

   1 tablespoon brown sugar (but white will do)

  150ml double cream

  1 tsp vanilla extract

  1 tablespoon sugar

  couple of tablespoons candied ginger (dried or in syrup) finely chopped (0pt)

Method:

1. Make pureed apple:  chop apples (peeled or unpeeled) in medium dice; cook over med heat with butter in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan.  Stir regularly until beginning to soften; add sugar and cinnamon or ginger.  Add a splash of water, cover with a lid, continue cooking till collapsing - a few mins.  Set aside to cool.  Blitz to a rough puree.  Cover and refrigerate.
2. Mix yoghurt & brown sugar; cover & refrigerate
3. If crushing biscuits, place in a bag and cash with a rolling pin; store in air-tight bag 
4. On the day of serving: beat double cream till soft peaks form; add vanilla and sugar; hand whisk until mix is thickish but still soft
5. Place layer of apple in bottom of serving glass; add layer of yoghurt; sprinkle over few pieces of candied ginger; add layer of biscuit crumbs, broken biscuit or cake (breaking pieces to fit); add layer of cream.  Repeat, finishing with dollop of cream; sprinkle over cinnamon or more ginger pieces
6. Refrigerate 2-3 hours 

Tips:

• Homemade apple puree is fabulous but in a pinch, low-sugar applesauce or pie filling will do
• For a change, toss a handful of blackberries into the pureed apples 

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This recipe has been developed by  B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.