Let’s celebrate the APPLE! In The Cooks Playground this week, Jenny Morris shows us how to find the perfect apple for this tea-time accompaniment, Spiced Apple Sponge. Warm spices like cardamom and cloves come alive with the addition of orange and lemon zest. Blow those winter worries away, as you park yourself on the couch with this warm, spiced pudding and a side of custard.

Spiced Apple Sponge

SERVES 6

FOR THE APPLES:

• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Zest of 1 orange
• Juice of 1 orange
• 6 whole cloves
• 3 cardamom pods crushed
• 7 large Pink Lady Apples peeled and cored and quartered

1. Place all the ingredients into a saucepan and simmer till the apples are almost tender
2. Turn off the heat and cool the apples down while you make the batter

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FOR THE BATTER:

• 80 g butter
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sifted self raising flour
• 1/ 2 cup of milk
• 1/2 sliced almonds
• Pinch salt

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C
2. Cream together the butter, lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time
4. Add the flour and milk alternatively
5. Place the apples into an oven proof dish and spoon over the batter and scatter with sliced almonds.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean

Serve with natural yogurt, ice cream or custard

Be sure to tune in to The Cooks Playground with Jenny Morris ever Saturday at 8:30 AM

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