The Recipe Room

A traditional Swedish dessert, this apple meringue pie is a real treat for the apple pie connoisseur.  With a crispy crust, scrumptious strawberry and tart apple filling, all covered with a light and delicious meringue, this pie is sure to satisfy even the most demanding of palates.  Although the recipe and finished product appear to be quite complex and difficult, in reality, it’s quite the opposite.  You’ll have it ready in just over an hour, and judging by past experience, it’ll only last about half that time before disappearing!

For another fruity meringue treat, try this iced fruit mountains and hot chocolate snow recipe.

 

 

This apple coffee cake is a deliciously spicy treat that goes extremely well with your cup of morning tea or coffee. For an afternoon or evening dessert, pair it with a xanté hot apple cocktail. The combined flavours will be delicious!

The tartness of the apples provides the perfect counterpoint to the aromatic sweetness of the coffee cake. In fact, I suggest you use the tartest apples you can find, as this really makes the cake stand out from the crowd. For a truly decadent delight, try adding some pecans or walnuts (or any other nut) to the batter. If you do, be sure to coat the nuts with a bit of flour before adding them to the mix, as this will help to keep them from sinking to the bottom during baking.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably always got lots of apples in the kitchen at the point of going bad.  As far as I’m concerned, this is a good thing, as it gives me the perfect excuse to bake them into something even yummier.  The great thing about most apple-based desserts is that they’re very easy to make and require little time and effort to prepare.  And this apple crumble recipe is probably the easiest of them all! I also recommend a sliced apple cake. You know what they say: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”

There’s a lot of debate about exactly which variety of apple is the best for cooking; some prefer Gala, while others swear by Granny Smith or Gravenstein.   Personally, I think the point is moot, as the absolute best way to make the perfect cooked apple dessert is to mix as many different kinds as possible together for a full-on taste explosion and a different nuance in every bite!  So go ahead, grab 6 different apples and start peeling!

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 6 cooking  apples (or any apples will do)
• 75g granulated sugar
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 2tsp unsalted butter, melted

For the crumble:

• 4tsp unsalted butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 65g all-purpose flour
• 125ml rolled oats

Instructions:

For the filling:

1. Preheat oven to 175ºC.
2. Peel and slice apples and lay them on the bottom of a non-stick or greased baking dish.
3. Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples.
4. Pour the melted butter over the apples.

For the crumble:

1. Blend the butter into the brown sugar.
2. Mix together the flour and rolled oats in a separate bowl.
3. Add the flour and rolled oats to the butter and sugar and mix well.
4. Spoon this mixture onto the apples.
5. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake for another 35 minutes or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender.
7. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cooking Time:  50 minutes

Serves:  4

Difficulty:  Easy

This  apple cake recipe is delicious warm from the oven, but also makes for a good breakfast the next day. You can serve the cake plain or add a scoop of whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream for extra enjoyment, or you could even drizzle some caramel sauce or condensed milk over the top.

You can use any type of apples in season. Personally, I like to use a mixture of different varieties of apples. The recipe calls for 4, so why not use 4 different kinds? The cake will taste a little bit different every time, but that’s really the great thing about it!   The cake can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (Also try this apple tart tatin recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 300g plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 250g chopped walnuts
• 6 eggs
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 250g flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (about 1 litre)
• 1 litre vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 175ºC.
2. Line a 23cm circular pan with baking parchment. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In an electric mixer set on medium speed, mix the eggs, 300g granulated sugar, the oil, lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla.
5. On low speed, add the flour and baking powder. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth.
6. Pour the apples and walnuts into the batter and mix well.
7. When all blended together, gently fold the batter into the prepared pan.
8. Smooth it out so that it lies evenly, with no apples peeking out from the top.
9. Next, top and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar.
10. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
11. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on wire cooling rack. Make sure that the cake is very cool before you remove it from the pan.
12. Discard the baking parchment and serve, preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  65 minutes

Serves:  10

Difficulty:  Medium