Apple is such a versatile fruit. It was 201 years ago that the first apple Bramley tree grew from pips in a garden in Southwell, UK, resulting in a £50 million business. It captured the imagination and taste buds of English households and can now be found as an ingredient of everything from pies and trifles to sausages, stuffing to cocktails and juices.
The Bramley apple is synonymous with a rich flakey pastry, cinnamon and lashings of hot custard. For something savoury try adding Bramley apples to soups, curries, stir-fries or rice dishes.
Although the Bramley is just over 200 years old, apples were first brought to the UK shores by the Romans. ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’
Bramley apples are a powerful source of antioxidants, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C, as well as a good source of fibre, and potassium.
Here is one simple recipe using just 4 ingredients and based on one of my mothers delicious deserts. She used to make it with bananas, but Bramley apples works very well too. The contrasting of textures and the unique sourness of Bramley apple makes this recipe a winner.
Apple Meringue recipe
Ingredients:
4 big Bramley apples peeled, cored and sliced and sprinkled with caster sugar
1 can of condensed milk
3 large organic eggs – separate the yolk from the egg whites
3 tablespoons of caster sugar
Yield: 6 individual ramekins
Oven: pre-heat oven at 180C
Equipment: equipment (mixer and bowl) grease free. 6 individual ramekins, bowl for the condensed milk and egg yolks
Method:
- arrange the sliced apples in the ramekins, no need to grease the ramekins
- beat the condensed milk with the yolks, beat well to a smooth mixture
- pour the mixture over the apples up to ¾ of the ramekins
- take the ramekins to the pre-heated oven and bake for about 30 mins while the apple and condensed custard are in the oven, prepare the meringue
- meringue: beat the egg whites in a clean bowl of your mixer, beat the egg whites for 5 minutes till they are nicely fluffy and stiff peaks. Now add the 3 spoons of sugar slowly.
- Pipe the egg whites onto the cooked apple in each ramekin
- Take the ramekins back to the oven and bake for another 20 mins at 150C
- Serve hot or cold
More about Bramley apple : bramleyapples
This post was first published at Great British Chefs Blog
