The Seer

It’s been uncharacteristically cold and blustery here in Fremantle the last few weeks, with steady showers of rain to help fill our depleted reservoirs. Here’s an easy-to-prepare dessert dish we’ve been enjoying on these wintry evenings that is healthful, smells wonderful and tastes even better. So here it is, the recipe for Pete’s Spiced Baked Apples:

Ingredients

2 large or 4 small firm baking apples (I like Granny Smiths or Coxs for their tartness)
1/2 cup of sago
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp brown sugar (or 1/4 cup maple syrup)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 tbsp butter
1/2 litre apple cider or clear juice (or water if not available)

Method:

Place half a cup of sago with a small pinch of salt, in half a litre of apple cider or water, soak for one hour. Then boil and stir the sago until clear, adding more liquid to make it thin if necessary.

Wash the apples then, using an apple-corer or sharp knife scoop out the cores to 1cm of the base (basically you’re making a well about 2cm in diameter in the apple. Peel top third of each apple.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar (or syrup), spices, fruit and nuts in a bowl.

Arrange the apples in a glass or other non-reactive baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Spoon the fruit mixture into the centre of each apple. Dollop the top with butter.

Then pour the hot sago over the apples to about half way up the apples.

Bake for 30 mins or until the apples are tender (but not mushy).

After 20 mins, remove dish from the oven and baste the apples and filling with the juice in the dish.

On cold nights, serve hot with a little of the juice and accompany with custard or vanilla icecream. If it’s Summer now for you, this dish is also delicious served chilled with fresh whipped cream.