Foodie Thursday - St Fillan's Fruit Pudding

by Paul Hollywood from Paul Hollywood’s British Baking (Bloomsbury)

 St Fillans is a tiny village in Perthshire with a population of around 225 people. This pudding is quite similar to a fruit cobbler. Serve with plenty of thick cream.

Serves 6

Prep time 20 mins

Cooking time 25-30 mins

Ingredients

650g cooking apples, peeled, cored & sliced

30g caster sugar

1Ž4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp water

A handful of raspberries (optional)

Topping

225g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cream of tartar

110g caster sugar

80g unsalted butter, diced

2 medium eggs

40-60ml milk

1 tbsp demerara sugar

Equipment.

A 900ml baking dish

Method

Heat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/ Gas 4. Butter an ovenproof dish, about 900ml in capacity.


Peel, core & slice the apples & put them into a saucepan. Add the sugar, cinnamon & water, then cover & cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just beginning to break down. Stir in the raspberries, if using, & transfer the fruit to the prepared dish.


For the topping, put the flour, baking powder & cream of tartar into a bowl & stir in the sugar. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the eggs & enough milk to make a thick batter.


Drop spoonfuls of the batter on top of the fruit & spread it out gently. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar & bake for 25-30 mins, until the topping is risen & golden brown.