RECIPE: Baked Apple Pancakes

This delicious Riverford recipe uses warming baked apples to celebrate the cosy flavours of late winter.

We tested this recipe out in our Five Acre Farm production kitchen this week, and it went down a treat with our Farm Shop staff. We think it would work deliciously with pears or stone fruits too… give it a try and let us know!

Ingredients

For the pancakes:

• 100g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 300ml milk
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• butter for the pan

For the apples:

• 75g mixed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, etc.)
• 75g mixed dried fruit (raisins, apricots, sultanas, etc.)
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 80g butter
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon or allspice (optional)
• 4 apples

Method

Prep time: 10 min

Cooking time: 50 min

• Step 1 – Preheat oven to 180⁰C/Gas 4.
• Step 2 – Make your pancake batter by sifting the flour into a mixing bowl and adding all the other ingredients except the butter. Whisk together thoroughly, until there are no lumps. Leave to rest while the apples cook.
• Step 3 – To make the apples, coarsely chop the nuts and fruit and place them in a small saucepan along with the maple syrup and butter. Warm over a gentle heat until the butter has melted. Add a pinch of cinnamon or allspice if you fancy.
• Step 4 – While the filling warms, use a corer to remove the apple cores. Then use a small sharp knife to make the holes slightly larger so that you can fit in more filling. Now, turn the apples on their side and slice through them 6-8 times. Turn them upright, making sure they are pushed back together into their whole shape, and sit them together in a snug-fitting oven tray.
• Step 5 – Spoon the warm filling into the apples, using a teaspoon to push it down so you can fit in as much as possible. Spoon any remaining mix over the top. Pop a lid on your tray if you have one, if not tent it with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the apples are completely soft and baked through. Keep to one side while you cook your pancakes.
• Step 6 – Heat a crêpe pan or non-stick frying pan (23cm) to a medium temperature. Use some kitchen paper dipped in a little melted butter or oil to grease the pan. Ladle in some of the pancake batter, tipping it quickly around the pan to create a thin, even layer. Cook for about 1½ minutes on the first side, until the pancake looks matte, and the edges are starting to turn golden and come away slightly from the pan. You will see some small bubbles appearing from underneath too. Use a pallet knife to turn the pancake over (or flip if you dare!) and cook for another minute or so. They should be lightly golden on both sides.
• Step 7 – To serve, sit an apple in the middle of a pancake and flatten it out like a deck of cards, spooning in any buttery juices from the bottom of the tray too. You can wrap or fold them so they can be picked up, or simply eat them with a knife and fork. One apple per pancake is very generous, so you might want to make each apple stretch to fill 2 pancakes – there is enough batter to make plenty.