Baked Apple Stuffed with Plum, Pear and Blackcurrants

INGREDIENTS

• 4 red apples such as Gala, Jazz or Pink lady
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 2 small plums chopped small
• 1 pear peeled and cored chopped small
• ¼ cup of blackcurrants
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
• Approx ¼ cup of runny honey or a good squirt according to taste
• ½ cup of rum, a little more if the dish is larger
• ¼ teaspoon of vanilla
• Small sprig of red berries as garnish

Accompaniment

• Madagascan custard sprinkled nutmeg

Equipment

• Apple corer

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
• Core the apples. Stand apples up and make 4 vertical cuts starting at the top of each and finishing half way down keeping the apple intact.
• Brush inside each apple with lemon juice and stand each up in a ceramic or glass pie plate approx. 9-inch diameter.
• Put the chopped fruit in a bowl and sprinkle with nutmeg and a good squirt of honey according to taste.
• Carefully fill the apples with the fruit mix, pour the rum and vanilla around the apples to cover base of dish and cover the dish tightly with foil.
• Bake in the middle of oven for around 40 minutes and test by prodding the apples with a fork.
• Transfer to serving dishes. Spoon sauce over and around apples. Serve with custard (shop bought) with a pinch of nutmeg.
• Garnish with small sprig of red berries

Looks very attractive and a perfect pudding for an autumn night.