A SLICE OF NICE: Apple blossom squares
Either serve warm as a pud 15 minutes out of the oven, with cream or custard, or leave to cool and serve with your favourite teatime brew
MAKES 1 x 23 CM SQUARE
100ml apple juice
75g light muscovado sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
90ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for tin
150g self-raising flour
2 tsp ground ginger
2 medium eggs
75g golden caster sugar
1-2 red-skinned eating apples (or as needed, see method)
40g chopped pistachios
- Place the apple juice and muscovado sugar in a small pan and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the bicarbonate of soda and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160 C fan/gas 4, and oil and line a 23 cm square baking tin 4 cm deep. Sift the flour and ginger into a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, caster sugar and oil in a medium bowl, then slowly add this to the flour, stirring. Add the apple juice mixture in two goes, gently mixing it in until smooth (the mixture is quite runny). Pour into the prepared tin. Quarter, core and thinly slice the apples downward and scatter over the top, followed by the pistachios. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge.
TOP & SERVE If wished dust with icing sugar to finish. Either serve warm as a pud 15 minutes out of the oven, with cream or custard, or leave to cool and serve with your favourite teatime brew.