Step-By-Step Apple Delicious

We were given this recipe about 30-35 years ago, by the ex-daughter-in-law of my Mother’s Aunt. Are you with me readers?! 😉
The ex-daughter-in-law bought this recipe over from Cyprus when she came to stay with her husband and his family, she called it ‘Apple Charlotte’, but we, over the years, called it ‘milopitta’, the generic Greek name for any apple and sponge/pastry dessert, especially useful when you don’t know what the real name is!
Talking with some of my internet food friends, we eventually decided that it was a cross between an ‘Eves Pudding’ and a ‘Queen of Puddings’, both traditional, old, English Puds.
Should it therefore be called a ‘Queen Eve pudding’?

No, too dated. Too haughty.
An ‘Apple Delicious’ sounds much nicer, don’t you think?
So thank you to my dear friend Jo of ‘Jo Blogs, Jo Bakes’ for her imaginative naming of the dessert-with-no-name. 🙂

*Do take a look at Jo’s blog – learn more about the ‘Apple Chapel’, the ‘Hungry Hubby’ and a various assortment of soft toys…* 🙂

Apple Delicious…Apple delicious…it has such a nice ring to it….

I remembered this recipe recently while going through my hand-written recipe book. I’d spilt oil over the book months previously and slowly the words and recipes were being  lifted off the page, disappearing before my eyes 😦 I’ve re-written the recipes, but there are a couple that are now lost forever. Luckily this was not one of them.

It’s not a quick dessert, shall we simply call it a small labour of love? 😉 The finished dish is impressive though- a layer of sponge, topped with a layer of apple purée, topped with a layer of Creme Patissiere and a crowning glory of nut-topped meringue.

Ok, it takes a leisurely morning or afternoon to prepare, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable morning or afternoon! 😉

Let’s do it step-by-step….
Starting off with the sponge base….You will need a rectangular dish, suitable for the oven, refrigerator and serving…I used a large ‘Pyrex’ glass dish, approximately 35cm  x 30cm.

sponge base:

3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
2tbsp orange juice.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl, place in the greased dish and cook at 170 deg C Fan oven, gas mark 5, for about 15 minutes.
Bear in mind that the sponge won’t rise too much, it’s meant to create a shallow base really for the other layers.

While the sponge is cooking, start preparing the apple purée layer.

Apple purée layer

3lb (1.35kg) Bramley cooking apples
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar.

3-4 tbsp flaked almonds
1tsp ground cinnamon.

Heat the water and sugar together, add the peeled and sliced apples, simmer for 10-15 minutes until they have become a mushy purée, with some larger pieces still visible, we don’t want the apples to disintegrate completely.
Drain the apples in a sieve for about 5 minutes, so the excess liquid drains off and a thick purée remains. Don’t let it drain for too long, we want some liquid left in the purée to moisten the sponge.
Spread the apple purée over the cooked sponge.
Sprinkle the flaked almonds and cinnamon onto the purée.

Now onto the Creme Pat layer!

Creme Patissiere Layer:

2 pints of milk
4 heaped tbsp cornflour
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract.

Whisk the Creme Pat ingredients together in a saucepan, keep stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Take it off the heat and pour over the apple layer.

Meringue Top Layer

4 egg whites
2 tbsp sugar
3-4tbsp flaked almonds.

Whisk the egg whites well together, add the sugar and keep beating, until you have a stiffly peaked meringue.
Spoon over the creme Patissiere layer, level off and top with the flaked almonds.

Bake at 160 Deg.C Fan Oven, Gas mark 4, for about 30 minutes, or the meringue is golden.

When the Apple Delicious has cooled, place in the fridge. Serve cold.

Now, wasn’t that worth a Morning’s work? 😉