Baked stuffed Apples

Baked stuffed Apples

I saw a picture of a similar dish the other day that in turn got me inspired to create my own.
The late season apples are still lovely. In this recipe I used pacific rose as they where on hand but would prefer a slightly more tart apple i.e. granny smith. Any apple will do the job so just use what you have.
I have used a sweet pastry but a short pastry would also work.
Filling
4                      granny smith apples
6 Tlb                desiccated coconut
4 Tlb                currants or raisins
4 Tlb                softened Manuka honey
1 Tlb                softened butter
1-2 shots            Rum or brandy                       
1 tsp                cinnamon
.5 tsp               nutmeg
Pastry
250g                butter
200g               Icing sugar
1                      pinch salt
500g                flour
1                      lemon zest
1                      tsp pure vanilla essence
4                      egg yolks
2 – 4 Tlb          cold water

Method
Pastry: 
Cream the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla & zest. Add egg yolks. Gently mix in the flour until the mix comes together, add the coldwater and mix to form dough. Use as little movement as possible to form the Dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr. Remove from the fridge and let warm slightly (room temp). Roll the pastry out to about 3 – 5 mm on a well-floured surface, cut it into quarters (four pieces roughly round in shape). Place an apple in the centre of each peace off pastry. Cut the pastry into a cross shape i.e. X. Each strip of the pastry crosses needs to be about 6cm wide with a small round in the centre that the apple is sitting on. Fold each strip over the apple press the pastry together on top of the apple, sealing the sides together like a seem. You should have four seems in total. Remove any excess pastry. Chill again for 30 min (freeze for 15 if hurried)
Egg wash with 1 egg and a little milk mixed.




Filling:
Combined all ingredients to form a paste.
Assembly:
Core the apples and leave a generous cavity to fill. Press the filling in to completely fill the cavity.
Cooking:
Place on an oven tray and bake at 180c for 30-40 min or until the apple is tender when a skewer or small knife is inserted.
Serve with custard or ice cream etc.

Feijoa tart

Feijoa Tarte Tatin:
A classic. Traditionally made with apples but I think the Feijoas work really well here. The main point is to use seasonal fruit, just be careful of the fruits water content. To wet is not good for this dish. Some slice apple can be added to give a little more structure.
Pastry:
240g   flour
1Tlbs  sugar
1tsp     baking powder
180g   butter, cold cubed
Pinch  of salt
20 Feijoas not over ripe, firm is best
Caramel:
2cups caster sugar
100ml + 1Tlbs water
100g   butter
1          cinnamon stick
1          vanilla pod
Method:
Pastry:
Pre heat over to 220c.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a cake mixer with a whisk attachment, add the butter and whisk until crumb like. Remove the bowl and tip the mix onto a clean bench. Make a well and pour in the water, gently mix into soft dough. Wrap the dough and chill.
Caramel:
Place sugar and water in a thick-bottomed pan (it need’s to be oven proof, I like cast iron) turn to high and boil until the sugar turns a caramel colour. At this stage remove it from the heat quickly add the butter and tablespoon of water. Be careful, as it is very hot and will spit and bubble when the liquid is added. Whisk until smooth then add the split scrapped vanilla pod and seeds plus the cinnamon stick, cool.
Assembly:
Cut the feijoas in half and carefully scoop out the flesh, make sure to cut around the fruit as close to the outer skin as possible; it’s fine if the caramel has set up just place the Feijoa on top of it with the cut side facing down. Spread them around the pan, tightly squeezing them in.
Roll the pastry out keeping in quiet thick about 5mm. Cut in into a round slightly bigger than the pan top. Roll the pastry over your rolling pin and then roll in over the fruit. Press the edges in with a crimping motion.
Place the pan into the oven, turn it down to 200c cook for 15 min or until the pastry is golden.
To Serve:
The tart can then be flipped upside down by placing a lipped tray over the pan and then flipping the tart and tray over making sure to catch any syrup. Then using two large fish slices transfer the tart to a serving tray, pour over any extra syrup.
Alternately using a large spoon scoop individual portions into bowls, turning them pastry side down as you go.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy the comfort of this awesome upside down tart.
This tart should easily feed 8-12 people.

Feijoa Crumble recipe

I’ve had a lot of requests for more feijoa recipes so I thought I’d start off with a really easy yummy recipe and a kiwi favourite.
As Tamarillo are also in season and work really well in this recipe I’ve included an option for them also. I like to add the apples as they provide more structure and mellow the stronger flavours of the other fruit.

    
Feijoa or Tamarillo and Apple Crumble:
4 granny smith apples
12 Feijoas or 6 tamarillo
1/2-3/4 c sugar the tamarillo will need more sugar as they are tart tasting
1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence
1 cinnamon quill for Feijoas
Or
1 star anise for Tamarillo
2/3 c soft brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 – 2/3 c rolled oats
1/2 c flour
1/2 c very soft butter
Pinch salt
 
Method:
Peel and core the apples, slice into quarters then slice the quarters into 1-2 cm slices.
Place the apple sugar and cinnamon or anise in a saucepan cover and cook on med for 4-5 min, stirring occasionally until the apple starts to soften but is still firm in the centre.
At this stage add the peeled and thickly sliced feijoas or tamarillo to the apples and cook for a further 2 min uncovered.
Spoon the fruit mix into a bake proof ceramic or glass dish or individual ramekins.
Crumble:
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until a desired crumbly consistence is reached. It needs to be moist enough that if squeezed in your hand the crumble will hold together in a clump. But dry enough that it can be crumbled into smaller clusters. Add more oats if to wet and more butter if to dry.
Crumble the mix over the fruit and bake for 10-12 min on 200c.
Serve with custard or ice cream.

Izzy's 10th Birthday cake

I'm by no means a cake decorating expert but I'm up for it. This is by lovely daughters Izzy's 10th Bday cake, it's club penguin themed. No recipe included for this one it's just classic vanilla sponge and butter frosting made with creamed butter and icing sugar.

Plumb Tart

 

Plumb and almond/ Frangipane tart:

Make this tart with any seasonal stone fruit you choose, plumbs, apricots, peaches, nectarines etc. In autumn choose classic apple or pear. It’s great served warm or just as good cold over the next day or two. Enjoy.

Fruit:
6-10 Plumbs (black Doris are my favourite)
50ml verjuice or fruity white wine
3Tlbs caster sugar

3Tlbs Plumb jam; use a jam that matches the fruit i.e. apricot tart, apricot jam.

Almond batter:
120g salted butter
150g caster sugar
200g ground almonds
2Lg eggs
1tsp pure vanilla essence
2Tlbs Golden rum or brandy

Pastry:
250g butter
200g icing sugar
1pinch salt
500g flour
1 lemon zest
1tsp pure vanilla essence
4 egg yolks
2-4Tlb cold water

Method:

Pastry:
Pre heat oven 200c.
Cream the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla & zest until pale and light.
Add egg yolks. Gently mix in the flour until the mix comes together, add the cold
water and mix to form a dough. Use as little movement as possible to form the
Dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr.
Remove from the fridge and let warm slightly (almost room temp).
Roll pastry on a floured surface and line a greased flan tin, patch any gaps or
Holes with left over pastry.
Chill again for 30 min (freeze for 15 if hurried)
Blind bake the pastry at 180 c for about15 min, until slightly colored.
Cool and reserve.


Almond batter:
Cream the butter and sugar (whisk until fluffy and white) add half of the ground almonds then mix again. Whisk in one egg at a time then add the remaining ground almonds vanilla and alcohol. Mix.
This mix can be kept in the fridge for up two 5 days.

Plumbs:
Cut the plumbs in to quarters or if large fruit thirds, half’s if smaller sized.
If your fruit is already very ripe and soft skip this step.
Put the fruit wine and sugar in a pan and cook on high for 2-3 min, just to slightly soften, don’t over cook the fruit. Strain and reserve the cooking juices. Cool the fruit.

Assembly:
Spread the jam on the pastry base, warming it will make this easier. Spoon the almond mix in about 1/2 – 2/3 full. Arrange the fruit it a fan like style on top.
Bake at 180c for 30min.

Serve
Serve with a little ice cream, crème anglaise, fresh cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt. Drizzle the reserved cooking juices over the tart to finish it. Yummy!!
You will get at least 12 slices from this tart.