Charl Cooks... Apple & Cranberry Crumble and Individual marbled Malva puddings

Aside from our decadent cream cake from a few weeks ago, I feel like we’ve been ignoring sweet treats - particularly great in winter. This week, a variation on apple crumble, using cranberries instead of the usual raisins, and individual malva puddings, marbled with cocoa, but using our Amarula sauce from a few years ago.

Apple & Cranberry Crumble

Dough

• 180g plain flour (about 375ml, but better to weigh)
• 10ml baking powder
• healthy pinch of salt
• 65g sugar (about 85ml)
• 125g ice cold butter, in 1,5cm cubes
• 1 egg, whisked

Filling

• 1 tin (397g) unsweetened pie apples, drained
• 1 handful (50g) dried cranberries
• 30ml brown sugar
• 2,5ml ground cinnamon
• Optional: a few pinches vanilla powder &/or the cinnamon specified

Place cranberries in a small bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, then into the food processor. Add the sugar & butter and process till the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs, about 15 seconds. With the motor running, add the egg through the feeder tube and process for about 10 seconds, till the mix comes together. Scrape with a spatula onto the shiny side of a 45cm piece of wax wrap. Form into a cylinder shape and roll up in the wax wrap.

Freeze for an hour before using (but up to a month). Cut almost half the dough into 2mm discs (moisten your fingers if the dough starts to stick to your fingers) and press into a well-greased (or sprayed) 23cm tart plate. Allow the dough to overlap the edge slightly, as it shrinks during baking.

Drain cranberries through a colander.

Arrange/scatter apples over the base and “fill in” with the cranberries – dust with sugar and cinnamon. Grate enough of the frozen pastry to scatter over the filling (you will have about a fifth left). Bake in a pre-heated 180 °C oven for 30-40min, till nicely browned.  Remove from oven and carefully trim away up till 1cm of the very dark brown edge.  Serve in slices, warmed or cold.

Individual marbled Malva puddings

• 220g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 30ml smooth apricot jam
• 125ml milk
• 30ml butter/margarine
• 5ml white vinegar
• 185g plain flour (about 340ml)
• 5ml bicarbonate of soda
• pinch salt
• 30ml cocoa powder

Cream the sugar and eggs with an electric beater till light-coloured, about 3-5 mins – then beat in the jam. Meanwhile heat together the milk, butter and vinegar in a heatproof jug in the microwave on High for 30-35 seconds until warm and the butter has melted – whisk to dissolve any lumps. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt a couple times into a medium bowl. Now fold half the flour and half the warmed liquid into the egg mix, then the other half of each (save about 15-30ml of the liquid) – lightly but decisively.

Fill the hollows of a greased muffin pan 1/3 full using half the mixture.  Mix in the cocoa and last bit of the liquid into the remaining batter in the bowl.  Now divide this evenly between the muffin pan hollows, and stir lightly to “marble”.  Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 12-15min till quite dark brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make Sauce: Heat together in a medium sized pot over medium heat: 125ml butter, 125ml cream, 60ml sugar and 250ml Amarula liqueur; just till sauce is hot and sugar dissolved. Do NOT boil.

Remove from the oven, stand for a minute or 2 and remove from tray.   Poke holes into each malva and place into a snug fitting small bowl or cup on 15ml of the hot sauce.  Pour another 30ml sauce over each and serve.

Serve either of today’s recipes with pouring or whipped cream, ice-cream or hot/cold custard.