Three Traditional Autumn Apple Recipes - Cake, Pudding and a Crumble

This Polish version of the versatile Apple Cake is also a popular Jewish recipe, with the addition of orange juice in place of milk. If has therefore travelled far from its roots but still retains its traditional delicious flavour and spicy aroma.

Ingredients:

• 375g/13oz self-raising flour
• 3-4 large cooking apples
• 10ml/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 500g/1¼ lb caster sugar
• 4 eggs beaten lightly
• 250ml/8fl oz vegetable oil
• 120ml/4fl oz orange juice
• 10ml/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2.5ml/½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2. Grease a 30 x 38cm/12 x 15in square cake tin, then dust with a little of the flour
3. Core and thinly slice the unpeeled apples
4. Put sliced apples in a bowl and mix with cinnamon and 75m/5 tbsp of the sugar
5. In separate bowl beat together eggs, rest of the sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice and vanilla essence.
6. Sift in remaining flour and salt and stir into the mixture
7. Pour two-thirds of cake mixture into the prepared tin, cover with one-third of the apples.
8. Pour over the remaining cake mixture and top with remaining apple.
9. Bake for one hour, or until golden.
10. The cake should be left to cool in the tin.
11. Serve warm.

Unbelievably comforting!

Here’s a variation on an old favourite, Apple Crumble, which should serve three to four people and is delicious served with either traditional custard or pouring cream.

Ingredients:

 Crumble

• 50g/20z wholewheat flour
• 40g/1½oz porridge oats
• 16g/½oz desiccated coconut
• 50g/2oz melted butter
• Six drops vanilla essence

Filling

• 125g/4oz chopped figs
• 150ml/¼ pint water
• 225g/8oz cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced.

Directions:

1. Pre-heat over to Gas 5, 375°F, 190°C
2. Mix crumble ingredients together
3. Put figs in a pan with water and simmer for 5 minutes
4. Combine the apples and figs in an oven dish and pour over remaining fig juice
5. Sprinkle crumble mixture on top and bake near top of oven for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Add the beaten egg
3. Fold in the flour and salt
4. Peel, core and chop the apples and mix with lemon rind, currants and brandy
5. Grease a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin.
6. Put a square of greased, greaseproof paper on the bottom of the basin
7. Put mixture into the basin and cover with greaseproof paper and foil, securing with string if desired
8. Steam the pudding for 1½ to 2 hours using a steamer or an upturned saucer in a saucepan with a lid. Pour boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin and keep an eye on it, adding more water when necessary.
9. Turn out the pudding and serve with custard.

All these recipes are well worth the effort!