It’s all about apples in November’s kitchen!

We had such a good crop of apples this year that I’m trying out all sorts of new dishes to use as many as possible! I found this one in an old apple recipe book that a Garden Club in East Markham had made to celebrate their apple day back in 2005!

It’s easy to make and can be made ahead of time – in fact it improves the flavour of the apples and spices

Apple Flapjack Trifle

Serves 6

Approx 8 apples – a mix works well or you can use one variety. I like to use 1 cooker in the mix.

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

25g butter

25g light muscavado sugar

500g carton fresh custard (or make your own)

284ml carton double cream, whipped to soft peaks

For the flapjack:

50g butter

100g porridge oats

1 tsp mixed spice

50g light muscavado sugar

Mix together the oats, spice and sugar. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and tip in the oaty mix. Fry for about 5 minutes until the oats are lightly browned and starting to crisp. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool – they will crisp up more when cool.
Peel, core and thickly slice the apples. Melt the second batch of butter in a large frying pan until starting to foam and add the apple slices. Fry with a fairly high heat until starting to colour. Turn now and again for about 3 minutes.
Add the sugar and spices and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. The cooking apple (if using) will break down but the eating apples need to be softened. Check for sweetness and add more sugar if you need it. Leave to cool.
Layer half the apples and almost half the flapjack mix in your serving bowl then repeat saving some of the flapjack for the topping.
Spoon over the custard then carefully top with the cream.

This pud keeps really well for a couple of days in the fridge as it gives the flavours time to develop but it can be eaten straight away too.

When you’re ready to serve, scatter over the last of the flapjack mix. If not eating straight away keep the topping in an airtight tub.