Almost everyone I’ve spoken to about baked Bramley apples smiles, sighs and looks all misty eyed. They recount childhood memories of melt in the mouth stuffed Bramleys served sometimes plain, or with cream, maybe ice-cream or even custard.
It’s not surprising. The British grown Bramley has been the best apple to cook with for over 200 years; it’s higher malic acid content and lower sugar levels produce a stronger tangier tasting apple after cooking, with a melt in the mouth moist texture.
Baking them in their skins adds an extra fluffiness as they steam away in their own juice. No other apple will do. Dessert apples, though delicious as a raw snack, can be chewy when cooked, producing a dissatisfying texture, all because they contain up to 20% more dry matter than the Bramley.
This recipe combines two wonderful desserts in one; a baked Bramley and a sultana studded cinnamon cheesecake. The result is a cheesecake core encased in fluffy baked Bramley flesh. And for a really decadent finish I’ve added a cinnamon sticky toffee sauce. You can leave this out if you prefer a slightly more virtuous pudding.
Pop over to www.bramleyapples.co.uk for more inspiration and information – there are loads of great recipes to choose from. And don’t forget to share your Bramley recipes and tips using the hashtag #LoveBramley on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Serves 4
Baked Cheesecake Bramley Apples
Ingredients:
For the cheesecake apples:
- 4 Bramley apples
- 200g full-fat soft cheese
- 85g caster sugar
- 50g Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 40g sultanas
- 15g plain flour
For the cinnamon sticky toffee sauce:
- 120g soft dark brown sugar
- 110g butter
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 100ml double cream
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. Line a deep sided roasting tray with deep sides with a sheet of non-stick baking paper. Remove the core from the each apple with a small, sharp knife, leaving about 1cm of apple still at the bottom. Hollow out a space about 4cm in diameter; this will hold the cheesecake filling.
Beat the cream cheese with the sugar using a wooden spoon until well combined, add the yoghurt, egg, lemon juice, cinnamon, sultanas and flour. Beat again then use to stuff into the apples – filling to ½ a cm from the top of each apple. (You will have enough mixture leftover to fill another 4 apples, just cover the cheesecake mixture with clingfilm and store in the fridge for up to 2 days). Carefully place the stuffed apples in the roasting tray and pour 175mls water around them. Bake for 40 minutes.
If you wish to make the cinnamon sticky toffee sauce to serve with the apples, simply melt the sugar, butter and cinnamon in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cream, stir well and continue to heat until it starts to bubble. Stir continuously for about 4 minutes or so until it thickens, remove from the heat and serve over the warm apples.
NB: Remember the cheesecake is still warm and so at the centre will be soft and almost runny – but not liquid. If you leave the apples to cool the cheesecake will firm up. Store any leftover baked cheesecake Bramleys in the fridge.
This blog post was supported by the Bramley Campaign. Find more information at www.bramleyapples.co.uk, visit their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram @bramleyrecipes.
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