Caramel Apple Sponge Pudding Food

APPLE-CARAMEL SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C and butter a 2-litre baking dish. Cook butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until nut brown (2-3 minutes). Pour three-quarters into a heatproof bowl. Return remaining butter to medium-high heat, add sliced apple and 40gm of each sugar and cook, tossing occasionally, until caramelised (5-6 minutes). Add brandy and juices and simmer until reduced to a syrup (1-2 minutes). Spread apples and syrup in prepared baking dish.
• Whisk buttermilk and egg with reserved brown butter. Combine remaining sugars, rinds, self-raising flour, vanilla, ginger and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl. Add buttermilk mixture and whisk until smooth, then pour batter over apples and smooth top. Dust evenly with cornflour, then thinly slice reserved apple on a mandolin, discard seeds and layer slices over the batter; don't worry about being too precise here - the slices will move when the liquid is added.
• Stir golden syrup and 350ml boiling water in a jug until combined, then gently pour mixture over the back of a large spoon onto pudding and bake until puffed and golden brown (50 minutes to 1 hour). Dust with icing sugar and serve hot with ice-cream or thick cream.

SALTED CARAMEL & APPLE PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 30 x 20 x 4cm baking dish. Put the eggs, extra yolks, sugar, milk, cream, 200g of the caramel, the vanilla and a large pinch of sea salt in a large bowl, then whisk until combined. Stir in the flour until the batter is smooth.
• Halve, core and cut the apples into 1cm slices - there's no need to peel them. Arrange in the baking dish and pour over the batter. Bake for 30-35 mins until the batter is set in the centre, golden and slightly risen.
• Drizzle over the remaining caramel, then sprinkle with a little extra sea salt. Leave to rest for 5-10 mins (it will deflate a little). Serve warm with vanilla or peanut butter ice cream, if you like.

APPLE SPONGE PUDDING (SELF-SAUCING)

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C° (356 F). Set aside a round, 23cm baking dish with at least 1.4L capacity.
• Add the peeled and cubed apples to a saucepan or frying pan, along with the butter, sugar and cinnamon.
• Cook, stirring over medium to high heat until the apples become slightly tender, the liquid reduces and the sugar caramelises the apples.
• Add the apples to the baking dish and set aside.

STICKY TOFFEE APPLE PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a 2-litre/3½-pint ovenproof dish lightly with butter. Tip the flour, sugar and baking powder, along with a pinch of salt, into a large bowl. Mix together the milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract and stir into the dry ingredients until you get a smooth batter. Arrange the apples in the dish, spoon the batter on top and smooth with a knife until the apples are covered.
• For the topping, pour 250ml boiling water over the sugar and stir together until smooth. Pour the liquid over the pudding mixture, then scatter over the pecans. Bake for about 40 mins until the pudding has risen and is golden. Use a big spoon to serve the pudding, making sure you get some of the gooey caramel sauce covering the bottom of the dish. Serve with pouring cream, warm custard or vanilla ice cream.

CARAMEL APPLE PUDDING

Steps:

• Make the caramel apples: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the liquid is reduced but saucy with the consistency of chunky applesauce, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: In a large bowl, using a large whisk or an electric mixer, whisk the cream, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt until soft peaks form. (When you lift the whisk out of the bowl and turn it whisk-side up, a peak of cream should flop over onto itself.) Don't overbeat; you're looking for a soft-set whipped cream that drapes rather than plops.
• Assemble the pudding: In a medium bowl or other serving vessel (preferably clear), arrange one-third of the vanilla wafers at the bottom, top with half of the caramel apples, then spread with half of the whipped cream. Repeat these layers once more and end with a final sprinkle of crushed vanilla wafers on top. (If you want crunch, save this final sprinkle for right before serving.) Cover and refrigerate until the cookies are soft, about 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

BASIC SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven Gas 4/355F degrees.
• Well butter 2 1/2 to 3 inch deep pie dish.
• Cream together the butter or margarine and sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time with a little flour until smooth.
• Add remaining flour, baking powder (if used) and salt, beating well.
• Add the milk, and beat again.
• Pour mixture into dish and smooth the top.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until well risen and brown.
• Variations to the Basic Sponge: Sultana Sponge; Put 2 oz sultanas in the bottom and around the sides of a well buttered dish, pour on the mixture.
• Apricot Sponge: Add 3 soaked apricots chopped small, to the mixture, put 3 or 4 apricot halves in the bottom of the dish, pour on the sponge mixture.
• Jam Sponge: Put 3 or 4 tblsp of any kind of jam in the bottom of the dish, pout on the sponge mixture.
• Syrup Sponge: Put 1 tblsp of golden syrup in the bottom of the dish, pour on mixture.
• Chocolate Sponge; Substitute 1 tblsp cocoa for 1 oz.
• flour, sieving it with the flour.
• Ginger Sponge; Add 1 tspn ground ginger to the flour and use 4 oz golden syrup instead of sugar, melted in warmed milk.
• Black Cap Pudding:Put a tblspn cleaned currants in the bottom of the dish, pour on the mixture.

GINGER & CARAMEL APPLE PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly butter and flour 6 x 8cm deep ramekins, tapping out excess flour. Heat the butter in a pan until foaming, add the apple and cook for 1 min on a medium heat. Toss in the sugar and cook until dissolved. Divide between the ramekins.
• For the puddings, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until fully combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, chopped ginger and ginger syrup, then stir this into the butter mixture. Fold in the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Divide between the ramekins so they are filled to 1cm below the top. Place them on a baking tray and bake for 20 mins, until golden and risen.
• Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar. Accompany with cream or custard.