BAKED APPLES WITH TOASTED RYE, MINCEMEAT & APPLE BRANDY CREAM
For the apples and toasted rye:
❚ 1 tbsp (15 ml) unsalted butter
❚ 1 cup (250 ml) coarse rye or pumpernickel breadcrumbs
❚ Packed 1/4 cup (50 ml) light brown sugar
❚ 8 tart apples
❚ 8 oz (230 g) mincemeat (I like Robertson’s)
❚ 1/2 cup (125 ml) dried cranberries
❚ Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
❚ 2 tbsp (30 ml) roughly chopped walnuts or hazelnuts
❚ 1 2⁄3 cups (400 ml) dry hard cider, plus more if needed
For the cream:
❚ 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
❚ 2 1/2 tbsp (40 ml) light brown sugar, or to taste
❚ 3 tbsp (45 ml) apple brandy or Calvados
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. For the rye crumbs, melt the butter in a frying pan, then cook until it starts to brown a little. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and sugar. Spread this out on a baking sheet (it’s important that the mixture is not in clumps) and bake for 20 minutes, tossing a few times during baking, until toasted. Let cool.
3. Slice the top off each apple to make a lid about 2 inches (5 cm) across, then core each one. Remove a little of the flesh around the core, too (don’t throw it away — use it for a smoothie or something).
4. Put the apples in an ovenproof dish or roasting pan in which they can sit close to each other; you don’t want masses of space around them.
5. Mix the mincemeat with the cranberries, orange zest and nuts. Spoon this into each apple, sprinkling any leftovers into the dish, then put the apple lids on. Pour the cider around the apples.
6. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the apples are completely tender, spooning the juices up over them every so often. Do keep an eye on the apples, as they can go from tender to burst and falling apart very suddenly.
7. Whip the cream until it’s holding its shape, then whisk in the brown sugar and apple brandy or Calvados. Serve the apples with their juices, adding a dollop of the apple brandy cream and a scattering of the rye crumbs. Serves: 8