Bramley Apple Cheesecake With Stewed Blackberries Food

BRAMLEY & BLACKBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Put the butter and flour in a food processor with 1/4 tsp salt and blend until the mixture resembles damp breadcrumbs. Or do this by rubbing the butter and flour together in a big bowl with your fingertips. Add the sugar and briefly whizz again or stir to combine.
• Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tbsp cold water, and drizzle over the flour mixture. Use the pulse button to blend the mixture once more, keep going until it starts to form larger clumps. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more water a tsp or 2 at a time, but no more than 3 tsp in total.
• Tip out onto a work surface and briefly knead the dough to bring it together into a smooth ball. Avoid overworking or it will become tough. Flatten the dough into a puck shape and wrap well in cling film. Chill for at least 30 mins, or for up to 2 days, or freeze for 2 months.
• Next, make the filling. Put the apples and half the sugar in a large bowl, then stir together until the apples are well coated. Set aside for 30 mins to macerate.
• Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and divide into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Re-wrap the smaller piece of dough and set aside. Divide the larger piece of dough into the number of pies you'd like to make, or leave whole for a large one. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness of a 50p piece, or until large enough to line the base of your pie plate or tin, with a little pastry overhanging. Roll the dough over your rolling pin, lift onto your plate or tins, then press it well into the corners. Scatter the polenta or almonds over the base.
• Drain any juice from the apples, then toss through the remaining sugar, cornflour and cinnamon. Layer the apples and blackberries in the lined dish, creating a dome effect in the centre. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf.
• Now choose how you'd like to decorate the top of the pie (see tips below). Once covered, whisk the reserved egg white and brush over the pastry. Scatter with extra sugar, then put the pie on the baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 mins for mini pies, 35-40 mins for medium pies, or 45 mins for a large pie, until the pastry is golden and crisp and the juices are bubbling. Cool for 10 mins before serving with cream or ice cream.

BRAMLEY APPLE CHEESECAKE WITH STEWED BLACKBERRIES

Steps:

• Oil an 8 inch, 20cm round springform pan and line the base with buttered baking parchment.
• Peel, core and slice the apples; place them in a medium saucepan with 1 tablespoon of caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of water and set over a low-medium heat; cover the pan and cook slowly, stirring from time to time until the apples have cooked down to a thick puree; set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 325°F, 170°C, gas mark 3.
• Finely crush the biscuits in a food processor and tip into a bowl, pour the melted butter on to the biscuit crumbs and mix together well; press the crumbs into the base of the prepared tin then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 5 minutes while you prepare the filling.
• Clean the food processor bowl and blade then place the cream cheese, 75g caster sugar, eggs, half the sour cream, vanilla and cornflour in the bowl and whiz together until smooth; add the cooled apple puree and process for another 30 seconds.
• Pour the mixture carefully over the biscuit base and place the tin on a baking sheet (this is just for insurance; mine did not leak at all); cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 - 45 minutes until just set; remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• While the cheesecake is cooling, make the topping by mixing the remaining sour cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons of caster sugar; carefully spoon the cream topping onto the cooled cheesecake; return to the oven for a further 15 minutes; allow to cool completely before chilling in the fridge.
• Stewed Blackberries: Place the blackberries and caster sugar in a pan with 2 tablespoons of water (you may need less water if using frozen fruit) and cook over a low heat until the fruit becomes tender and juicy; remove the berries with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl; turn up the heat slightly and allow the juice to bubble gently until it is reduced by about half, then pour over the berries: serve the sauce at room temperature with the cheesecake.

APPLE & BLACKBERRY CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Peel, quarter and core the apples, then roughly chop. Tip into a saucepan with the cinnamon, lemon zest and juice. Cook over a low heat until soft, then take off the heat and stir in the sugar, blackberries and breadcrumbs.
• Generously butter an 18cm deep tin or Charlotte mould. Cut the bread into the shapes you need to cover the base and sides of your tin. Dip one side of each piece of bread in the melted butter, then place in the tin, buttered side down, with each piece slightly overlapping. Spoon in the fruit, then make a buttery bread lid cover. Bake for 1 hr until the lid is crisp. Carefully turn onto a plate, leaving the tin on, leave for 15 mins, then lift off.

STEWED BLACKBERRIES

Steps:

• Carefully wash berries; drain.
• Place berries in saucepan.
• Add water, cover, and heat slowly; simmer berries for about 15 minutes. Shake pan or stir gently to prevent berries from sticking.
• Add salt and sugar and heat 2-3 minutes longer.
• Remove from heat.
• Serve warm or chilled, plain or with cream.
• If fruit is very ripe, add 1-2 tbs lemon juice.

BLACKBERRY & APPLE FROZEN YOGURT CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and line the base and sides of a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment, leaving 2.5cm of parchment sticking up above the rim, like a collar. In a large pan, melt the butter with the sugar. Mix together the cinnamon and biscuit crumbs, then stir into the butter and mix until it looks like wet sand. Press the crumbs into the base in an even layer, then freeze.
• Put the apple, lemon juice and 1 tbsp water into a large pan. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 3 mins or until totally soft. Pass this pulpy mix through a sieve into a large bowl. Leave to cool. Mash the blackberries with a fork, then sieve into another bowl - a rubber spatula is best for pressing every last bit of fruit from the seeds.
• Stir together the condensed milk, 500g yogurt and 300ml cream until evenly mixed. Pour 450g of this onto the apple purée, add 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon, then whip with a balloon whisk until slightly thickened. Pour onto the biscuit layer, level, then freeze for 30 mins or until firm. Chill the remaining yogurt mixture in the fridge.
• Whisk about 3 tbsp of the blackberry purée into the rest of the yogurt mixture until pale pink. Pour one-third of this on top of the apple layer, then freeze until firm. Repeat twice, adding enough fruit to the yogurt mixture to make each layer slightly darker pink than the last. Freeze overnight or until totally solid. Can be made 1 month ahead, wrapped well in the freezer.
• When you're ready to serve, defrost the remaining blackberry purée, if frozen. Bring the purée, 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp of the sugar to a simmer. Stir in the arrowroot mix until slightly thickened and shiny. (Arrowroot does not freeze well, so don't freeze after this point.) Cool.
• Take the cake from the freezer 30 mins before serving. Remove from the tin after 5 mins, peel away the paper and transfer to a plate. Whip the remaining 300ml cream, 250g yogurt and 3 tbsp sugar together until billowy but not stiff. Spoon on top of the cake in peaks and scatter with a few more berries. Add a drizzle of the sauce just before serving, and pass the rest around in a jug.

BRAMLEY & BLACKBERRY TRAY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Grease a roasting tin (30x20cm) with butter, dust with a little flour, then set aside. Peel, core and slice the apples into rings, then toss in a little lemon juice to stop them going brown.
• Tip the cream and butter into a saucepan, bring up to the boil, then set aside. Whisk the sugar with the eggs until they thicken and turn pale, about 3 mins. Whisk the buttery cream into the eggs, then fold in the flour until completely smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin and arrange the apple slices over the top. Scatter over the blackberries, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until golden and beginning to pull away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tin and serve cut into squares.