Baked apples with raisins and cinnamon
In response to a plea from one regular for more sweet things here’s one of the easiest puds of all - baked apples. Bramleys are a great cooking apple that end up beautifully light and fluffy so do use them for this recipe. (Obviously it’s more economical to make it when you’ve got the oven on high for something else)
Vegetarian (or vegan if you use non-dairy spread)
Time: 10 minutes preparation + 45 minutes cooking time
Cost: about 70-80p a head
1 medium sized Bramley apple per person
Raisins
Soft dark brown sugar or other brown sugar
A little cinnamon or mixed spice
Butter (or non-dairy spread)
Place each apple on a chopping board stalk side up. Using a sharp knife cut a square round the core, right through the apple and lift out the core. (You can obviously do this more easily with an apple corer if you have one) Cut round the circumference of the apple so that you cut through the skin but don’t cut into the fruit. (This stops the apple from bursting)
Place the apple(s) in a lightly buttered or greased baking dish. Mix the sugar with a little cinnamon or mixed spice. Stuff the hole(s) that you’ve made with the raisins and brown sugar mix. Stuff a good lump of butter or dairy free spread on the top. Pour a little water round the apple(s) to just cover the base of the dish and bake in a pre-heated oven (200°C/400°F/Gas 6) for 40-45 min until you can easily insert a knife through the fruit. (Add a little extra water to the baking dish half way through if it looks like drying out). Serve with the juices spooned over and some single cream or custard.