Apples are relatively cheap, fantastically versatile and available in lots of different varieties, each with its own unique flavour – from the sweet juiciness of Cox’s Orange Pippin to the comfort of whole baked apples topped with cinnamon and honey…
Apple and blackberry crumble
Cook 3 peeled and chopped apples with 150g blackberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of cinnamon in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons water. Place in a baking dish. Rub 75g butter into 225g flour and stir in 75g sugar. Spread onto the apple mixture and bake at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes.
Apple purée
Peel and cut 3 Granny Smith apples into chunks and put them in a saucepan with 60g butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar (or more if you like it a bit sweeter) and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook over a low heat until the apple cooks and turns to a purée.
Baked apples
Cut a horizontal slit around the top and bottom of each cooking apple and take out the core. Stuff the cavities with dried fruit and drizzle in a little honey, dot the top of each apple with a knob of butter and bake at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for about 40 minutes, or until soft.
Sausages with apples
Fry 6 of your favourite sausages in a little oil and keep warm. Peel and cut an apple into chunks, melt a knob of butter and fry the apple slices until golden brown on all sides. Serve with the sausages and some mash.
Apple tart
Line a 20cm loose-based tart tin with shortcrust pastry and bake it blind (ie without any filling). Peel and thinly slice 3 Golden Delicious apples and arrange them in the base of the tart. Sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of caster sugar and bake at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes. Brush with warmed apricot jam before serving.
Pork chops with apples and calvados
Fry 1 sliced onion in butter, and push to one side of the pan. Add 1 peeled sliced apple and fry until tender, and again push to one side. Fry 2 pork chops until cooked and browned on each side, mix everything in the pan together, then add a splash of calvados and a dash of double cream, bubble together and serve.
Roast apples with pork
Next time you’re roasting a joint of pork, try adding some quartered apples to the roasting tin for the last 30 minutes. Serve together and add cider or calvados to the gravy for extra flavour.
Waldorf salad
In a bowl put 1 peeled and chopped apple, 2 sliced sticks of celery, a handful of toasted walnuts and some torn lettuce leaves. Add a little mayonnaise, toss together and season well.
Apple muesli
Add a grated apple, a large dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of honey to your favourite muesli, then leave to soak for 5 minutes. Add cold milk for a delicious breakfast or brunch.
Apples on toast
Fry slices of apple in butter until golden, add a sprinkle of brown sugar and heat until caramelised. Beat 2 eggs with a splash of milk, dip in slices of bread until the eggs have soaked in, then fry in butter until golden and cooked. Top with apples and serve hot.
