Apple Sauce, Appelmoes

I love learning new, richer ways of doing familiar things- especially when that knowledge comes through friendships. These funny little organic cooking apples turned up at Cornucopia recently aned with a name like "Tydeman's Late Orange" (raised in East Maling in 1930) it would have been remiss of me not to try them. But even better my dear Dutch friend Margaret gave me a little pot of Appelmoes a month or so ago- made by cooking whole apples, sweetening just a little, working through a mouli (yay I found a little one last week in the hospice shop) and then adding a touch of vanilla. I'm never going back to the old ways now. I just know that this applesauce is good for the microbome, not to mention delicious.  

Equally delicious are these wee wild apples we found in June near the railway line in Dannevirke. 

Later I added some Mexican hawthorn fruit we found in Frimley park. 

The Mexican haws are very high in pectin so great for setting jams and jellies. They have hard little stones in them which don't go through the mouli quite so easily.

We're eating our appelmoes as we go but it can be popped in to a preserving jar for later too.

Nicola Galloway of Homegrown Kitchen writes so nicely about this process here- search Homemade Apple Sauce 15th May 2023

Katie X

Rustic French Apple Tart

This is the most delicious apple tart we've ever tasted. It's rustic and easy to make and just perfect for picnics. I'm sure you could also make a number of small pies instead of one large one.

It's just as good warm as it is cold.

Pastry

Sift 1 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup of wholemeal flour in to a bowl.

Add a dsp of raw sugar and a pinch of salt. 

Grate 100 grams of frozen unsalted butter in to the flour and mix it in a little as you go so that it doesn't get clumpy. Rub the butter in lightly with the tips of your fingers until it resembles rolled oats but don't over handle and don't fuss too much. 

Make a well in the centre, add 1/4 c milk and 1/4 cup of yoghurt.

Mix with a spoon until it comes together, adding a little more flour if you need to.

Knead a little, but not too much. 

Place in a small bowl and cover with bees wrap and put in to the fridge for an hour, or overnight. 

Once you're ready to put your tart together turn on the oven to preheat to 180C 

Peel, core and finely slice three or four eating or firm cooking apples (not Ballarats that turn to pulp when cooked). Place them in a bowl, sprinkle over a tbsp of demara or other sugar, a tsp of cinnamon and a dsp of flour. Mix through the apple with your hands.

Roll the chilled dough out in a circle on to lightly floured baking paper on a baking sheet. 

Arrange the apple however you want to in the centre and fold up the edges all the way round.

Brush with melted butter if you like.

Bake for around 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown and the apple is cooked.

Katie X

Lightly Spiced Apple Mousse

This particular apple mousse was inspired by a foodie conversation with a friend last week. The old fashioned recipe called Apple Snow came to mind at the time of our chat and then I also recalled the Ballarat apples I had sitting at home waiting for a purpose. Apple Snow is a dessert made with cooked apples and beaten egg whites and it's a tad bland so I used the concept and then just made it more delicious. Ballarat's are brilliant cooking apples- they turn to mushed apple in no time at all- perfect for this mousse.

Any suitable cooking apple will do.

I began by peeling, coring & chopping two large apples, adding just a sprinkle of water, popping on the lid & simmering the apples for 10 minutes or so (watching to see that they don't catch on the bottom as they cook) until they have broken down & have become apple sauce.

Add a tbsp of honey.

Leave to cool.

In a small pot or glass jug soak a large tsp of powdered gelatine in a 1/4 of water for a few minutes.

Heat gently on the stove or for 20 seconds in the microwave. Stir to dissolve.

Add to the apple and stir.

Beat 2 large egg whites until very stiff and smooth and meringue-like.

Beat 125 mis of cream with a tbsp of honey and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon until soft peaks have formed.
Fold the apple, egg whites and cream together gently.

 Pour in to small cups, or bowls, or one large one.
Chill. The flavours improve over time. One of those recipes that's even better the next day.

 Caramelised walnuts go well with the apple and cinnamon flavours too.
Stir a little brown sugar, butter and some walnuts in a nonstick pan for around 5 minutes until fragrantly golden. Tip out on to baking paper and spread out to cool.

Katie X

Amazing Spicy Apple

I love apples.

I love them...all of them, any way at all.

 But this has to be one of my favourite apple recipes ever.

Apple & cinnamon speaks pie, crumble, family, warm memories & winter.

 This version elevates apple to just plain special.

The original concept came from my dear friend Sue, an innovative & grand cook.

She makes the most delicious strudel using filo pastry. I have borrowed the flavours & now I cook the apple with ginger & lemon just on it's own.

I guess it's a bit audacious to call this a "recipe" but truly, it is divine & different & so worth making.

Whatever apples you chose to use will give a slightly different result according to variety but that really doesn't matter. The flavours will still be the same.

Below I have given a proposed a few quantities but really just make it up according to your own taste & what you have available.

Peel & dice 1/2 a dozen apples,

add the zest or finely grated rind of a lemon (lisbon type are best)

2 tbsps drained ginger,

1 tsp ground ginger,

1/4 raw sugar or honey

1/2 cup of your favourite raisins or sultanas

Pop all the ingredients in to a pot together, put on the lid & turn on to low & let the apple begin to cook & release it's own juices.

Keep an eye on it & stir from time to time.

Cook until it's all fragrant & delicious.

This gorgeous mixture is now magical served warm, cold or used in crumble or strudel.

Golden raisins give a lovely glow to the cooked mixture.

Jumbo raisins are a lovely mix of colours & flavours & work well too.

I love it best with thick, creamy Greek yoghurt.