I made this dish last week for the Leaf (Leukaemia) charity lunch, and was asked for the recipe – so here it is, ladies. Tasty, and it also happens to be one of the easiest dishes to make (hooray! More of those please everyone).
I think it began life as a Delia recipe, but it’s now well and truly Appleaday’s, because every time I make it I add something new to the mix. Perhaps this last attempt was my best…I blitzed mixed nuts instead of the usual flaked almonds, plus added mixed winter berries since the blackberries alone just didn’t give enough colour 🙂
Warning: I was in a lotsa-fresh-ginger mood that morning.
Serves 6-8
3 cooking apples, (Bramleys but others work too), cut into chunks
3 pears (I used Conference pears), cut into chunks
10 stoned soft prunes
10 halved dried figs, soaked overnight
10 dried apricots, soaked overnight
250 g fresh or frozen mixed berries
Juice from 1 orange
200 ml pure apple juice
4 cm finely grated ginger – or less if you’re not a big fan
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cardamon
200g mixed nuts, crushed or briefly blitzed OR flaked almonds
zest of a lime… or two
Optional, plain yoghurt (or a non-dairy like coconut yoghurt). I had the Collective’s delicious plain Straight Up yoghurt (current favourite) as well as Rachel’s Greek yoghurt with shredded coconut – because I had them in stock!)
Method:
Use organic fresh fruit where possible; peel the skins if not. Try to find sulphite-free dried apricots as this preservative (spec. sulphur dioxide) can cause allergic reactions if you’re sensitive to it.
Soak the dried fruit overnight to soften and discard the water (however, if you’ve forgotten to soak, this recipe also works with the firmer dried fruit – a matter of taste).
Give the unsalted mixed nuts a quick blitz in the blender, or a bash with your rolling pin, so they are smaller, but still a little chunky, however, definitely not ground.
Place all the fruit in a large casserole dish. Add the spices and zest to the two juices and pour over the fruit. Cover with a lid or foil (ensure the foil isn’t touching the food). That’s more or less it!
Bake for one hour in a medium hot oven, about 160 degrees, then remove the lid/foil, scatter the unsalted mixed nuts or the flaked almonds on top. Place under the grill for 5 minutes until the nuts start to colour. Keep a watchful eye and on no account leave the room. Nuts love to test your mettle and can blacken in a split second.
Serve as is, or with a dollop of your favourite yoghurt. And leftovers can go on your morning oats, muesli, or be a dessert for another night.