Baked Apple & Pear Sponge Pudding with Spiced Caramel Custard
Baked Apple and Pear Sponge Pudding
3 medium cooking apples
3 pears
Juice 1 lemon
150g castor sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Method
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze into 2 bowls.
Peel, core and chop the apple and toss in the lemon in one bowl.
Peel and quarter the pears, remove core and chop and toss into the other bowl of lemon.
Place the apples in a pan with 75g of the sugar and the cinnamon and cook until just soft.
Heat the sugar in a frying pan and when hot add the pears and cook for a couple of minutes.
Mix into the apples and then place in a buttered baking dish.
Sponge Topping
175g soft butter
75g dark brown sugar
100g castor sugar
3 eggs
175g self raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Set oven to 170oc.
Method
Beat the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time and then whisk in the flour and vanilla.
Spread onto the apple and pear mix and bake for about 40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Spiced Caramel Custard
3 egg yolks
100g sugar
15g cornflour
250ml whole milk
100ml cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons mixed spice or pumpkin spices
Method
Place milk and cream in a saucepan and scald.
Heat another pan until hot and add 50g of the sugar.
Cook to a rich amber liquid and then carefully add the hot milk mixture – it will bubble up!
Add the spices and vanilla and simmer until the caramel has dissolved.
Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and cornflour and pour over the hot spiced caramel milk.
Whisk and then return to the pan and whisk over a medium heat until thick.
Serve immediately over the warm sponge with cream or ice-cream (or both)
