When Life Gives You Apples....



The Food Union, Deborah Aspray, Motif Lifestyle Images
The Food Union, Deborah Aspray, Motif Lifestyle Images
The Food Union, Deborah Aspray, Motif Lifestyle Images

The Food Union, Deborah Aspray, Motif Lifestyle Images
About now, if your garden is anything like mine, you will be coming to the end of the apple season. This year has been a bumper year for all my apple trees (maybe something to do with the mild spring and long hot summer), and I've just picked the last of the Granny Smiths. Friends and family have been receiving my Apple Red Cross parcels for the last couple of months now, so I've thrown together a few recipes in an to attempt to use up a few more kilos worth of apples.

Love this super simple cocktail which you can jazz up or down depending on upon your mood. I've found it tastes much better if you juice your own apples and make it with an apple flavoured vodka like one from the Absolut range.

APPLE, CRANBERRY & VODKA COCKTAIL
Recipe by Katie Quinn Davies - What Katie Ate

2 c (500 ml) apple juice (cloudy type or juice your own apples)
2 c (500 ml) cranberry juice
100 ml vodka
2 c (500 ml) ginger ale
ice & thinly sliced apples to serve


Place the apple juice, cranberry juice and vodka in a blender and whizz until pale pink and frothy. Pour into a large serving jug, add the ginger ale, a few apple slices and a good handful of ice. Serve immediately.

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This cake can be made as one big cake, or lots of medium or little ones. I have some petit Bundt  tins and they are a great size for afternoon tea or taking on a picnic.

APPLE & MAPLE CAKES
Recipe by Donna Hay

2½ c (375g) self-raising flour, sifted
1 tspn ground cinnamon
250g butter, melted
1 c (175g) brown sugar
½ c (175g) maple syrup
4 eggs
6 red apples, peeled and grated
2 tspns ground cinnamon, extra
1 c (220g) caster sugar


Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Place the flour and cinnamon in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs and apple and mix well to combine. 

Spoon into 12 x well greased 1 cup-capacity (250ml) Bundt tins, or 24 petit Bundt tins (125ml).


Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Turn out immediately. 


Place the extra cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine. Coat the cakes while still hot with the sugar and cool.

Makes 12/24.


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I've found this is a great recipe for the boys while watching rugby or any other male dominated sporting event on telly. Hot pie in one hand, beer in the other - they couldn't be happier!

PORK, PRUNE & APPLE PIES
Adapted from a recipe by Dean Brettschneider

4 sheets of good quality pre rolled savoury flakey pastry

Filling
2 shallots, peeled
1 bunch spring onions, top & tailed
1 large bunch of flat leaf parsley
2 tblspn fresh thyme leaves
2 small fennel bulbs
6 good quality pork sausages

2 sweet apples, grated & squeezed of excess juice 
2 tblspn whole grain mustard
100 g white breadcrumbs
125 g sour cream
100 g Cheddar cheese, grated
salt & freshly ground black pepper
200 g prunes


Egg Wash
1 egg beaten with 1 tblspn water


Preheat oven to 200°C, and place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray.

Place the shallots, spring onions, parsley, thyme and fennel bulbs in the food processor and blend until finely chopped,  place in a large bowl. Remove the skin from the sausages and to the bowl.

Mix in the grated apple, mustard, breadcrumbs, sour cream and cheese, then season with a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Do not over salt as the sausages are already seasoned.


Cut the pastry into 11 cm squares. Place 2 tbspns of the pie mixture in the center of the pastry, leaving a clear margin around the outside to fold the pastry over. Push a prune gently into the centre of the pie filling, and top with another tablespoon of the pie mixture.


Brush an egg wash around the edge of each pie, and gently fold the pastry corners into the centre and seal each joint. Apply egg wash over the top of each pie, and sprinkle with fennel seeds. Chill for 10 mins in the refrigerator.


Bake in the pre heated oven for 20 - 30 mins or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown in colour. Remove from oven and rest for 10 - 15 mins before serving with a spicy tomato sauce or chutney.

Makes 16

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All Images © Deborah Aspray - Motif Lifestyle Images Ltd 2013

1 comments :

  1. Great website and photography, from a fellow food photographer!

    ReplyDelete

 
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