Puddings to warm me up
This autumn, indulge in a dessert that comforts and make the most of seasonal fruit.
This is my absolute favourite time of year – now that it has stopped raining for five minutes! I love the crisp air with a nip morning and night, and the invitation it brings to snuggle up in cosy knitted jumpers or by an open fire – and, of course, to indulge in some decadent autumn puddings.
The crumble recipe makes the most of seasonal fruit alongside the traditional apple, and is topped with a generous mound of crunchy crumble, while the sticky pud breaks from tradition with the addition of ginger and pears – such a perfect combination. Both are best served to hungry friends, with lashings of whipped cream or a generous scoop of vanilla bean icecream.
Apple and feijoa crumble
Serves: 6-8 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes
5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2-3cm chunks
FOOD
1 cup brown sugar 120g butter, softened cup plain flour cup rolled oats cup flaked almonds 6 big ripe feijoas, halved and flesh scooped out
Vanilla bean icecream or softly whipped cream to serve
Put the apples and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar in a large deep frying pan with 3 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, over a medium heat for 10 minutes until the apples are just soft.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Put butter in a food processor with remaining brown sugar and flour and whiz to combine. Add oats and flaked almonds, and pulse to incorporate.
Roughly chop feijoa flesh and toss through apples and their juices, spoon into a 24cm round baking dish and top with crumble, squashing some of it into clumps, for extra texture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the topping is golden. Allow the crumble to sit for 5 minutes then serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Sticky date, pear and ginger pudding
Serves: 10 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 80 minutes
1 cups roughly chopped dates 1 teaspoon baking soda 80g butter, softened 1 cup soft brown sugar 2 eggs 1 cups self-raising flour 1 teaspoon ground ginger
cup crystallised ginger, finely chopped
2 pears, peeled and sliced into 3-4cm pieces
Vanilla bean icecream to serve
Put the dates and baking soda in a non-metallic bowl and cover with
cup boiling water. Leave to sit for half an hour.
Preheat oven to 180C. Beat 80g of butter with brown sugar until pale and soft.
Add the eggs one by one then add flour and ground ginger, and fold together.
Whiz dates and soak in a small food processor (or mash with a fork), and add to the mixture with the crystallised ginger and sliced pears. Fold together.
Grease a 24cm x 28cm baking dish with remaining butter and pour mixture into it. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked through.
Sit for 10 minutes then serve with Ginger Toffee Sauce
and vanilla bean icecream.
below) Ginger Toffee Sauce (recipe
1 cup brown sugar 80g butter 1 cup cream 1 teaspoon ground ginger Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, whisking to combine.
Sauce can be made up to two days ahead and stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Gently reheat before serving.
Recipes, food styling and photography by Sarah Tuck