Apple Charlottes

Ive been meaning to post this for awhile but been very busy this week, these Apple Charlotte's are very yummy and a great winter dessert. This is Little and Fridays recipe but I used store bought pastry instead of homemade, slack I know but store bought is so much easier and still taste great.

Apple Charlottes

Treats From Little and Friday

1 Recipe Sweet Pastry

8 Apples

juice of 1 lemon

125g unsalted butter

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

seeds of 1 vanilla pod( I used Vanilla Extract)

For the Apple Charlotte Filling

On a lightly floured bench, roll pastry to 3mm thick and line either one 28cm round tin or six 6cm round tins. Trim pastry to form a neat edge and keep left overs for lattice work. Place lined tin/s in freezer.

Preheat oven to 180^c. Place a try in oven to heat.

Peel, core and quarter apples. Cut into 1cm cubes and toss in lemon juice to prevent from browning.

In a saucepan melt butter and sugar, stirring regularly. Add apple cubes to melted butter and stir continuously over a med-high heat. When apple is tender, add cinnamon and vanilla, stir to combine and remove from heat. Leave to cool.

Remove cases from freezer and fill with cool apple.

Roll left over pastry to 2mm thick and cut into long strips, make a lattice top.

Bake on oven tray 45 mins , until golden brown and pastry is cooked through.

If you aren't cooking peeled apples immediately, cover in water and lemon juice until ready to use. When cooking apples, aim for tender, not mushy, texture.

Apple Cake

I was given a big bag of green granny smith apples from my sister, since she doesn't really fancy them so my next two post will be about Apples. I was on the look out for a lovely Apple cake and found this one in the recent Food magazine from Countdown. 

Apple Cake

2 cups peeled and finely chopped apple

2 tsp lemon juice

150g butter,melted

3/4 cup caster sugar ( I used granulated sugar)

3 eggs

2 tsp Vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the apples in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and gently mix. Set aside. Line the base of a 20cm loose-bottom round cake pan with baking paper. Grease the base and sides of the cake pan. Place melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Fold in sifted flour. Add the apples and gently mix together. Place mixture in prepared cake tin. Bake cake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool slightly before removing it from pan. This cake is delicous served with a dollop of cream or yoghurt. Enjoy xx

Apple Shortcake

I made an Apple Shortcake today for me and my partners 10 Year Anniversary. We always make Apple shortcake when its a Special Ocassion or if we have all the family over for tea. This recipe has been in our family for as long as I can remember.

Apple Shortcake

170g butter
170g sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp Baking powder
2x tin Apples( you can use a tin of peaches if your short on apples)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Icing Sugar (to dust) optional.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs then flour and baking powder. Press 3/4 of dough into a baking pan top with apples sprinkle over cinnamon then press left over dough over top dosent have to be perfect. Bake 200C for 30 mins.

Once cooled sprinkle over icing sugar serve with whipped cream.