Salted Cider Caramel Dumplings

Serves 4

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup apple cider vinegar

2 cups apple juice

⅓ cup (80ml) golden syrup 100g salted butter, chilled, chopped 1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour ½ tsp salt flakes

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Clotted cream, to serve

Place the caster sugar, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar in a large, deep-sided frying pan with a tight-fitting lid. Place over high heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

Carefully add the apple juice, golden syrup and half the butter, and then stir to combine. Bring back to a simmer and allow the caramel to reduce slightly while making the dumplings.

To make the dumplings, place the remaining butter in a bowl with the selfraising flour and salt. Rub together with clean fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Place the egg, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix to combine. Stir the milk mixture through the flour to form a dough. Take tablespoonfuls of the dough and roll into balls.

When all of the dough has been rolled into balls, add the dumplings to the apple caramel, and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the dumplings are puffed up and cooked through. Serve with clotted cream.