Greatest recipes ever Thomasina Miers Mary Berry’s ‘I’m addicted to , and this time of year is bliss. Our neighbour in London has a tree of sweet, pink ones, and when these are exhausted, we make trips to the farmer’s market to stock up. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all our streets were lined with apple and pear trees instead of ones that were merely decorative? It’s hard to believe I used to dislike cooked apples— my father would shake his head as I spurned his apple crumble. It wasn’t

until I went round to my Make the most of an autumn windfall by whipping up this deliciously light and moist apple cake friend Jo’s house after school one day that I saw morning as one would a Danish mixture over the apples. This To thaw pastry—again warm, dusted is an awkward thing to do, Thaw for six hours if time allows the light. Her mother with icing sugar. but just make sure that the cooked this Mary Berry mixture covers the centre well To cook in a conventional oven cake, and we demolished Serves 6 as it will spread out in the oven. Cook the cake in the oven Ingredients Sprinkle the cake with the preheated to 160˚C/325˚F/Gas it warm from the oven. 225g (8oz) self-raising flaked . 3 for 1½ hours until golden and It’s hugely comforting, 1 level teaspoon baking powder With the grid shelf on the shrinking away from the sides 225g (8oz) caster sugar floor of the Roasting Oven and of the tin. with a tantalising hint of 2 eggs the cold plain shelf on the second almonds. I think it’s the ½ teaspoon extract set of runners, cook the cake And to drink... perfect weekend cake’ 150g (5oz) , melted for about 20 minutes, or until 350g (12oz) cooking apples, pale golden brown, watching A carefully chosen sweet wine should Thomasina Miers peeled and cored it carefully. Transfer the plain prove a worthy match 25g (1oz) flaked almonds shelf (which is very hot) to the for this delicious cake. Wonderful apple middle of the Simmering Oven Moscato d’Asti, the Method (Aga) and then lift the cake very dessert cake sweet sparkling wine Extract from Mary Berry’s Lightly grease a deep 20cm carefully onto this and bake from Piedmont, Northern New Aga Cookbook (8in), loose-bottomed cake for a further 30–40 minutes Italy, often gets overlooked. Published by Headline tin. Measure the flour, baking or until a skewer comes out The 2010 vintage from a top- powder, sugar, eggs, almond clean when inserted into the notch producer such as La I’ve been doing this special extract and melted butter into centre of the cake. Morandina (£12.78) offers pear and remarkably easy recipe for a bowl, mix well until blended, and white-flower aromas and years. Many people have asked then beat for a minute. Spread To prepare ahead a soft sweetness that lifts the me how to cook it in the Aga, half this mixture into the tin. Best made to serve warm, but palate. And at just 5.5% abv, so here we go. The apples can Thickly slice the apples and can be made the day before you needn’t feel too guilty. be windfalls or even shrivelled lay on top of the mixture in the Chosen by David Brown, ones left in the fruit bowl. Serve tin, piling mostly towards the To freeze Justerini & Brooks (020–7484 with ice cream or crème fraîche centre. Using two dessertspoons, Once cooked and cold, wrap and 6400 www.justerinis.com)

Jean-Paul Boyer/Stock Jean-PaulFood Boyer/Stock as a dessert, or with coffee in the roughly spoon the remaining freeze. Use within three months

86 Country Life, October 19, 2011 www.countrylife.co.uk