Old Fashioned Apple Batter

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Apple Batter (16)

I see January as an excuse to use up stuff left over from the excesses of December, and today’s recipe is particularly appropriate – although I have to say I’d welcome this comfort-eating pudding any day of the year!

I had some eggs that need to be used, and I discovered 3 perfect Bramley apples on the shelf in the back porch. Therefore it felt like fate when I found this recipe in a tiny 1986 Cookery book (costing 50p), in a Charity shop last week.

I remember hearing about my late Mother-in Law’s Apple Batter, still referred to in hushed tones by all the family.. so I absolutely had to give it a go!

Warning! – this pudding isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but it is seriously delicious!

Use any apples you like for this pudding –  it’s great for clearing out the fruit bowl. And speaking of fruit bowls – don’t forget to use those blackened Bananas to make my famous Banana Bread! https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/banana-bread/

Banana Bread 3

EQUIPMENT:

  • Weighing scales
  • Ovenproof  baking dish – about 5cms deep – I use my large Lasagne dish
  • Sieve
  • Small Frying pan
  • Bowl/large jug
  • Hand or Electric whisk – I do this by hand.

INGREDIENTS: This will feed 6 generously.

Apple Batter (3)

  • 3-4 medium-large apples – my prepared apple weighed 600g today.
  • A tablespoon or so of lemon juice.
  • 50g butter, plus some for greasing the baking dish.
  • Finely grated rind of an orange.
  • 1 teaspoon of ground Cinnamon
  • 25-30g Raisins

Batter ingredients:                                            Apple Batter (11)

  • 100g Plain Flour
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 300mls Milk – or 1 tablespoon of Brandy or Calvados, made up to 300mls with the milk.
  • 50g Caster sugar – I use Golden Caster.
  • 1 teaspoon of Vanilla paste or extract.

To serve:

  • Pouring cream or Custard

METHOD:  ** for ‘Get Ahead’ instructions –  see the top of the NOTES section below**

  • Generously grease the baking dish with butter.
  • Peel, core, and cut the Apples into quarters, or 8ths if they’re big, then sprinkle with the lemon juice.
  • Put to one side while you measure out the batter ingredients
  •  Sift the Flour into the bowl/jug.
  • Grate the Orange zest, and reserve.
  • Heat the oven to 170 degrees Fan
  • Melt the 50g of Butter in the frying pan, and gently fry the Apples until they are just slightly browned on all sides  – about 5 minutes or so.

Apple Batter (6)

  • Add the Orange zest, Cinnamon powder and Raisins to the frying pan
  • Mix well, then transfer the whole lot to the Baking dish – remember to scrape all the cooking juices from the pan into the dish too.

Make the Batter:

  • Sift the flour  into the bowl.
  • Make a well in the flour,  add the eggs and start to whisk them in, adding the Milk gradually until you have a smooth batter.
  • Mix in the sugar.
  • Pour the whole jug of Batter evenly over the Apples in the dish, and transfer to the oven
Apple Batter (12)

My much-loved but scruffy Nicholas Moss lasagne dish!

  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until the batter has puffed up beautifully, and the apples are tender.
  • Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with some pouring cream, or Mr Saturday Night’s suggestion – Custard  (isn’t it always ;))

Apple Batter (14)

To prepare ahead:

  • Prepare and fry off the Apples, Orange zest and Cinnamon in the butter as above.
  • Put them into the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
  • Cover with a reusable cover (see picture) or Cling film, and leave in a cool place (not the fridge)
beeswax cover

A natural beeswax cover – reusable, and compostable at the end of its life

  • Make up the Batter as instructed, cover, and refrigerate.

30-40  minutes before you want to eat the pudding:

  • Preheat the oven to 200 Fan,
  • Remove the cover, and put the baking dish and its contents into the oven for 10 minutes.
  •  Pour the batter over the apples, return to the oven and cook at 200Fan for 10 minutes, then reduce to 170 Fan for 30-40 minutes until the batter is risen and golden.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes – the apples will be very hot – then serve.

NOTES:

  •  If you’ve ever made your own Yorkshire Puddings for a roast dinner you’ll recognise the     ingredients – apart from the sugar, brandy etc. The batter rises up around the apple sections, swaddling them with its protective layer. Giving you soft Apple, and crunchy Batter – yum!
  • The apples are seriously hot when they come out of the oven, so do give it 5-10 minutes to cool a little.
  • The batter will drop slightly when it comes out of the oven, but it’s not a problem.
  • The orange zest with the apples, and the addition of the Brandy and Vanilla paste to the Batter mixture is well worth doing – the flavours are delicious, and enhanced if you allow the dish to cool a little.

Apple Batter (15)

About

I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx

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