Summer Harvest

After a week in Scotland I came home to a bumper crop of courgettes, Charlotte potatoes, tomatoes, spring onions and runner beans galore, not to mention the salad leaves which are sprouting up all over the garden.  Food definitely tastes better when you grow it yourself.


The following recipe was made from early windfall apples from my Bramley tree and blackberries which belong to my neighbour but trail over to my garden, my crop are not quite ready.  

Apple and Blackberry Almond Sponge Pudding













Ingredients

100 g soft margarine
100 g brown caster sugar
100 g self-raising flour
2 large eggs
50 g ground almonds
2 drops almond essence
Flaked almonds to decorate

For the filling

4 medium size apples, I used early Bramleys, peeled and cut into chunks
Small bowl of fresh blackberries, washed
75 g Brown sugar

Place all the filling ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer until the apples are just tender.  Leave to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 190C / 375F / gas 5

Place all the sponge ingredients in a large bowl and blend together with a hand-held electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Put the filling into an oven-proof dish and spoon over the sponge mixture.  Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top and place on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes or until the sponge is golden and springy to the touch.

Serve with a dollop of chilled crème fraiche.