Sweet and salty
The decadent union of apples and caramel is perfect for dessert or as a topping for your Saturday morning pancakes, writes Nicola Galloway.
Weekend Kitchen
Apple and caramel are a glorious match. Today I share two recipes using this combination. Including a selfsaucing pudding, and a simple way to cook apples to serve alongside weekend pancakes. You will notice in both recipes the addition of a pinch of salt – something I often add to sweet recipes – as it helps to balance and enhance the sweetness of the caramel. It will forever amaze me how self-saucing puddings go into the oven drenched in liquid, only to come out transformed into a soft cake, with a luscious sauce beneath. Cooking truly is magical.
Butterscotch and apple self-saucing pudding
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes Serves 6-8
For the cake
3 cooking apples such as granny smith, peeled and cut into thin wedges
80g butter
1⁄3 cup (50g) lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 room temperature eggs
1 1⁄4 cups (160g) standard flour (can use gluten-free)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄3 cup (80g) unsweetened yoghurt
For the sauce
1⁄ cup (50g) lightly packed brown sugar
3
1 tablespoon golden syrup or maple syrup
1 tablespoon corn flour or tapioca flour pinch of salt
1 1⁄ cups (375ml) boiling water
2
Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C).
Prepare the apples and place them into the base of a baking dish, approximately 20 x 25cm.
In a stand mixer, or using handheld beaters, cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and beat until thick and creamy.
Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl and use a whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients along with the yoghurt to the butter mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold together into a thick batter. Spread evenly over the apple pieces.
In a jug, combine the sauce ingredients and mix well until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly pour the sauce over the back of a spoon onto the cake batter.
This will evenly disperse the sauce onto the pudding without disturbing the batter.
Place the dish into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Leave to cool for 10 minutes then serve – with a scoop of vanilla icecream if that’s your thing.
Caramel apples
I make these simple caramel apples most weekends through the cooler months to serve with pancakes or hotcakes. They are also delicious spooned warm over vanilla icecream.
I recommend making them with a tart cooking apple to balance the sweetness of the caramel. I used the variety sturmer pippin that I was lucky enough to come across at a market stall this week. Braeburn would be another more readily available option.
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Serves 4 as a side
3 cooking apples, such as tart braeburns
Squeeze of lemon juice
50g butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of salt Unsweetened yoghurt and pancakes or hotcakes to serve
Peel, core and slice the apples into thin wedges. Toss them in a squeeze of lemon to prevent them turning brown.
Over a moderate heat, melt the butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan. Add the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine – the mixture might separate a little to begin with – then add the apple pieces.
Continue to cook over the heat using a metal spatula to flip and move the apples around the pan so they cook evenly.
Once the apples are tender and coated in the caramel sauce, tip into a bowl. Serve hot alongside pancakes or hotcakes, and a dollop of yoghurt.