An apple a day in September’s kitchen

We’ve had a great time at the Malvern Autumn Show this week and Martin and I were on the Potting Shed stage with our Gardening on the Menu talk. This time we made this super easy pud using some of our beautiful Bramley apples. If you can get hold of some authentic Dulce de Leche then use it to make this super easy trifle as it has a richer taste. If not (and I scoured Gainsborough, Lincoln and Malvern to find some!) then the Carnation Caramel version works almost as well!

If you would like to have a go at the spinach pancake recipe that Martin and I made the recipe is on July’s page of ‘In the Kitchen’

Thanks once again to top nursery exhibitor Rob Hardy from Hardy’s Cottage plants for being our official taster at the shows!

Ps. Sometimes Lidl has it in their ‘World’ section!

Bramley picking 1

Toffee apple trifle

Serves 2, easily doubled. Takes about 20 minutes plus cooling time

1 Bramley apple, about 250g cooked

35g sugar

Good squeeze lemon juice

3 tbspns dulce de leche or Carnation Caramel

3 shortbread biscuits, crumbled

75ml whipping cream, lightly whipped

1 dstspn icing sugar

Topping

1 small eating apple

15g unsalted butter

2 tblspns dulce de leche

Splash of brandy (optional)

Peel, core and dice the Bramley apple and add to a medium pan with the lemon juice and sugar. Stir together.
Cook on a gentle heat for about 10 minutes with the lid on until the apples are really soft, stirring occasionally.
Mash to a puree with a fork then stir through the caramel. Leave to cool.
Whilst the apples are cooking you can make the topping – Heat the butter in a small frying pan and core and slice the apples fairly thinly. You can peel the apple or leave the peel on.
Fry on a medium heat for a few minutes turning often until the apples are golden then turn the heat down a little and add the caramel. Stir to coat the apples then add the brandy if using. Cook for another few minutes until the apples are sticky and golden brown. Leave to cool
When everything is cool you can assemble you trifles – Put a couple of slices of apple in the bottom of your serving glasses then spoon in half of the pureed apple.
Crumble the biscuits with your fingers and lay on top of the apple
Top with half the whipped cream then repeat with a second serving glass
Martin likes to vary the layers with his trifle so feel free to improvise!
Carefully add some of the sticky toffee apples to the top of the glass and enjoy
Although you can eat this pud straight away it improves with age and will happily sit for a few hours in the fridge – probably better to save the apple topping until ready to serve though as they will sink through the cream!