Tuesday 4 September 2012

Autumn fruits for dessert?


I had an urge for fruit this morning so rose from my sick bed and picked up all manner of sweet things from the local market. This inadvertently included some autumnal delights; figs, bramley apples and plums. I had no clear idea what I was going to do with them. I pondered ginger and lemon zest and came up with this fragrant, light Autumn number.

I cored, peeled and thinly sliced the 2 lovely tart apples, added zest and juice of a lemon (yup ones still left over from the party), grated a large knob of fresh ginger and a splash of water. Then covered the pan and cooked on a low heat, letting it fluff up gently and occasionally stirring. Put to one side.

Are those plums stalking me?
Take about 140g of ginger nuts and vaporise in a blender. Grind about 50g flaked roasted almonds and throw them in. Add more lemon zest and a handful of oats. I also added half a bag of mixed seeds and pine nuts for protein and crunch. Then get your fingers sticky by mixing about 80g butter into the gingery mix but don't let it get too claggy; do it quickly and lightly.

Taste the apple for sweetness and add sugar if you like. I don't, so I didn't. Pour into a gratin dish and then top thickly with the mix without pressing down too much. Top with more flaked almonds. Put in the oven at a sensible temperature. I hadn't realised that the oven had a non 'blast it to death' temp - 190 degrees. Who knew?

This is deliciously sharp, crunchy and zesty without being too stodgy. Perfect end of Summer 'build you up' healthy food. I didn't add the plums, I'll have them for breakfast tomorrow.


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