Apple Jelly

I know what you're thinking. Apply Jelly? Are you sure? Well, to be perfectly honest, no, I'm not. I saw it in my old cookery book and thought it would be worth a try. As it turns out, it's quite nice! It's not like your modern day jellies, because its not transparent, and it doesn't have anything aritificial in. It's literally stewed apple, pushed through a sieve and jellified. It was also the first jelly I've ever made and I really enjoyed myself! Here is the recipe I was working from:

In the recipe, it mentions using powdered gelatine, with the 2tbsp of water for dissolving it in. However, I only managed to find sheet gelatine, which you soften in cold water and then add to the recipe, so I've adjusted my ingredients accordingly. It does also say in the original recipe what proportions to use with the Gelatine, however I found it to be too stiff because I didn't have a hair sieve, only a normal one, so I've reduced it slightly so that the jelly will have more wibble-wobble.

Apple Jelly (serves 2)

Bare Necessities:
1lb/450g Apples
2oz/60g Sugar
1piece Lemon Rind
1/2pint/1cup/250ml Water
6g Gelatine

1. Peel and slice the apples, taking care to remove all of the skin and core.
2. Pop them in the pan, along with the sugar, lemon rind and water.
3. Put the lid on the pan and stew until soft.
4. Rub the stewed apple through a sieve. It seems like it won't all go through, but trust me, it will. Just remember to scrape off the under side of the sieve every once in a while.
5. Follow the instructions on the packet of gelatine and then add to the apple puree.
6. Stir until the gelatine is fully combined and then pour into your mould. I didn't have a mould so I just used two glasses.
7. Pop in the fridge until the Jelly is stiff and enjoy!

Apple Crumble And Custard

You can always tell that the festive cheer has hit me when I start adding cinnamon and mixed spice to almost every sweet dish I do, so if anyone happens to be staying with me, they're a bit stuffed (haha get it? like Christmas turkey?!... never mind...) if they don't like the stuff!

Double whammy this week for you guys, for, like a true Brit, it is simply impossible for me to have crumble without custard. I sprinkled dark brown sugar on top of mine before you put it in the oven, it's up to you if you do too!

Apple crumble

Ok, so in this photo I missed out flour and vanilla, sorry!

3apples

1/2 cup/115g Sugar (proportional to in apple mush)

1/2tsp Mixed Spices

1 pod Vanilla

100g Butter

1  1/2cup Flour

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

4 Ginger Nut Biscuits

1. Peel apples.
2. Take out the core and pips and chop the apples into medium chunks.
3. Put the chopped apples into the saucepan with water (put the water to less than half where apples are-if that makes sense) and add the sugar, mixed spices and vanilla (take the seeds out of it and put those it, you don't need the outer thing).
4. Mix all together and then bring to the boil (there's no need to stir this constantly, just put the lid on and leave it alone, but keep watching it!).
5. Turn off the heat once the apples are cooked and foaming slightly, but try not to let it go too mushy (don't worry if it does though!) and leave to cool.
6. Breadcrumb the butter, flour and cinnamon together.
7. Combine with the crushed ginger nut biscuits.
8. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
9. Pour the apple into a dish, only pour the crumble on straight before you put it in the oven to save it getting soggy.
10. Put in the oven for roughly 30 mins or until the top goes slightly golden. It's totally cool if some of the apple pokes through around the edges, it tastes great!




Custard

2 cups/500 ml Milk

few drops Vanilla Essence

6 Egg yolks

1/2 cup/100 g/4 oz Caster Sugar

2 tsp/10 ml Cornflour

1. Combine the milk and vanilla essence in a saucepan. Warm gently but do not let it boil.

2. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together until creamy. 

3. Add the warm milk.

4. Strain the mixture back into the clean pan and cook SLOWLY, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens slightly (be careful not to let it curdle-if you do, just strain it through a sieve)

5. Serve hot or cold.

Apple Mush

Ok, so TECHNICALLY it's stewed apple, but I've been eating this since I was a baby, and it's just been given that family name, even my 19 year old brother calls it that, though I suppose he's less than pleased that I told you all that.

The original reason that my mum started making it is because, as a baby, I simply refused to eat any of the baby food that she bought from the supermarkets and when she made it, as I'm sure you'll find when you make it, I just wanted more (which was coincidentally my first word, 'more'). It can be eaten hot or cold, I like it with a bit of custard, or, if I'm feeling especially naughty, hot with a scoop (or two) of creamy vanilla ice-cream; though I'm sure that you can have it with just about anything you want.

This recipe is super easy to make and takes no time at all. Proportions will vary based on the size of apples you're using and whether you want it 'sweet sweet sweet', or if you want it to have more of a 'tang'. I personally prefer it with a bit of zing, but not the tears-running-down-my-face-oh-my-god-this-is-so-sour kind of sour. And, though I'm sure that you're all perfectly clever enough to realize this, though I apparently wasn't, the apple gets REALLY hot, so don't taste it until it has cooled down some more, and if it needs more sugar, just heat it up a bit first.

Bare Nececities:

4 Bramley apples
1/2-3/4 cups/115-170g Castor sugar

1. Peel apples.
2. Take out the core and pips and chop the apples into small-ish chunks.
3. Put the chopped apples into the saucepan with water (put the water to about half where apples are-if that makes sense) and add the sugar.
4. Mix all together and then bring to the boil (there's no need to stir this constantly, just put the lid on and leave it alone, but keep watching it!).
5. Turn off the heat once the apples are cooked and foaming slightly and leave to cool.