Apple and Blackberry Snow

Apple and Blackberry Snow Recipe

I am in the minority of people who loved their school meals. I have hugely fond memories of chicken in white sauce, an odd goulash with macaroni and rice pudding. I had a particular penchant for stewed apple and custard, so when the nights draw in I get quite the craving for hot fruit based desserts. Apple and Blackberry Snow is a vintage classic with more than a hint of shabby chic to it, but it’s well worth the trip down memory lane.

I like to think of this pud as a lighter option, although I may be kidding myself. It’s 75% fruit 25% meringue and 0% stodge. The apple and blackberry are sharp, soft and rich. The piled meringue topping is crisp but marshmallow-like in the middle and did I mention super simple to make. This is basically just cooked fruit with a big blog of meringue. I added the blackberries for colour and seasonal charm, but you could add blueberries, raspberries or whatever you can find on a fridge forage. A big thank you to Olive Magazine for the inspiration for this.

Simple pleasures; autumn fruits and putting a jumper on because it’s chillier in the evenings. Apple and Blackberry Snow is fresh, elegant and delicious, cardigan optional.

That’s autumn in one single photo for me. I wish I could say I foraged these blackberries but I didn’t, they were on offer in Waitrose and were total beauties. So few ingredients for something so delicious, I love recipes like this.

Start by buttering 4 x 100ml size ramekins, these are just the standard sized ones you probably have lurking in your cupboard. Pre heat your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted too. Next, peel and chop your apples, chunks are good, and don’t bother being too precise. I used this handy chopping implement which saved quite a bit of time, even though I still had to peel the bloody things.

Put your apple pieces into a good sized saucepan along with the 40g of butter and just 20g of the caster sugar. Bring up to the simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the apples have softened nicely but still have a bit of shape. Keep giving them a stir so they don’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

Leave them to cool for a bit whilst you get on with the snow.

Separate the two eggs, keeping the yolks for later. Add the whites to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk until they hold stiff peaks.

Whisk in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time until you have added it all then continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy. When you feel the mixture between your fingers you shouldn’t feel any graininess.

Fold the egg yolks into the cooled apple mixture then spoon into your 4 buttered ramekins.

Press three blackberries into the apple then top the ramekins with large dollops of your meringue.

Pop these into the pre heated oven and cook for around 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the meringue snow is golden and firm.

Dive right into these Apple and Blackberry Snows whilst they are hot. With some extra fruit and cream, just because you can.

These elegant little puds are a real treat. They have the appearance of something which took you hours to make, but only you and I need to know that’s not entirely true.

Lucy x

Apple and Blackberry Snow Recipe

Makes 4

You will need a stand mixer or hand whisk for this

2 good sized Bramley or cooking apples

12 blackberries, about 100g

40g butter

140g caster sugar

2 eggs, separated

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream to serve, if you like

Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and butter four 100ml capacity ramekins.

Peel, core and chop your apples and add to a medium sized saucepan. Add 20g of the caster sugar and the 40g of butter and put onto the stove over a low heat. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until softened but still holding a bit of shape. Keep stirring so they don’t catch on the bottom of the pan. Pop to one side to cool a little.

For the meringue top, seperate the two eggs putting the whites into a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, keep the yolks for the apple. Whisk until they hold stiff peaks then spoon in the sugar one tablespoon at a time, whisking until the mixture is firm and glossy and when you rub it between your fingers you can no longer feel grainy sugar. Whisk in the vanilla.

Take the two eggs yolks and stir them through the apple mixture then spoon this into the four ramekins. Press 3 blackberries into each ramekin then top, generously, with the meringue.

Place onto a baking tray then cook for around 15 to 20 minutes or until the meringue is golden and crisp and the fruit is bubbling. Serve piping hot, although I have to say I ate one cold and it was still bloody good.