A friend of mine was recently recounting her baking woes. It was the charity baking morning in her office and she was instructed to make biscotti. Armed with her ingredients she set to work, disregarding the need for scales or measuring spoons. The result? Well they looked quite good, despite the fact that she read 3 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda instead of 3 teaspoons. As colleagues raced to purchase the biscotti beauties, she couldn’t help but notice that upon swallowing their first bite, it produced an immediate belch. The 3 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda method was coming back to haunt her.

I’ve had a similar unfortunate episode with mustard,  (it was a very powerful, if not unforgettable, macaroni cheese..) and so here is a pudding which is incredibly simple with no bicarbonate of soda in sight….

Ingredients: Serves 4, Jamie Oliver Recipe

• 4 good-sized eating apples
• 50 g butter
• 50 g brown sugar
• 2 handfuls dried fruit (chopped apricots, raisins and cherries)
• 1 piece stem ginger in syrup , chopped
• 1 orange , zest of
• 2 tablespoons runny honey
• 284 ml double cream
• 1 pinch mixed spice
• 1 splash brandy or whisky , optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Carefully remove the core from the apples with a sharp knife or apple corer. Be careful not to split them in half. Place them on a baking tray.
2. Heat the butter and sugar in a small saucepan with the dried fruit, stem ginger and orange zest. Stir until the butter has melted and all the grains of
   sugar have disappeared. Pour the caramel mixture into the middle of the apples, drizzling any extra mixture over the top along with the honey. Bake the apples in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whip the double cream with the icing sugar and mixed spice until you have soft peaks. Fold in the brandy or whisky for a bit of a kick if you like.
4. Serve each apple with a big spoonful of whipped cream and any leftover caramel juices from the tray

Directions for use: Use whatever apples you have in your kitchen. I had a couple of Brambly Apples in my fruit bowl – the tartness worked well against the sweet fruit and caramel.