Jacket or Baked Apples

 When I was little my Grandma called this pudding Jacket Apples, or maybe I have got it completely wrong and it was jacket potatoes.  Of course she may have used that title of Jacket Apples as an Old Lincolnshire name for a delicious, easy to make even in large quantities dessert. I've just checked with hubby and his Mum also made this pudding and they also called it  Jacket Apples,

Cooking apples make for a soft fluffy Jacket baked apple, a nice ripe eating apple for a smaller sweeter firmer jacket baked apple.  The principle is in effect similar.  Times for baking may vary depending on how large your apples are, how mature, how sweet etc.

Wash and core your apples. Take the point of a sharp knife and just run it through the skin along its equator.  This stops the apple from 'exploding' in the open, though it may well fluff up with a white middle peeping through! The hollow centres are going to be stuffed with something sweet and delicious.  There are so many choices dates and nuts and honey, or dried apricots soaked in marsala wine chopped, mixed with a little brown sugar and chopped hazelnuts, but if you have some good mincemeat, then that is absolutely delicious too.

Just pour a little liquid again the choice is yours: a little cider, fruit juice or just water to about 1/2cm depth.  Pop them in the oven, preferably when it is on for general baking, and bake for around half an hour at 160 C fan oven.

 I like a little drizzle of honey or Golden Syrup depending on the stuffing.  To be quick a nice dollop of my ewe's milk yogurt from Wootton Dairy Otherwise some custard, creme fresh or whatever!

Today a group of our WI Blooming Fun was visiting Janette for a first garden party and picnic.  We got to pick some of her fruit, and this was made with a new season apple.  First of the Apple Nouveau puddings!