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Baked apples with boozy damson gin mincemeat
Serves 6 Desserts and puddings
Ingredients
- 200g unsalted butter
- 200g light muscovado sugar
- ½tsp ground cinnamon
- fresh nutmeg, for grating
- 600g mixed dried fruit
- 1 large Bramley apple, peeled, cored and grated
- zest and juice 1 large orange
- 150ml damson gin
For the apples
- 6 eating apples, mixed or singlevariety, cored
- 4tbsp damson gin mincemeat
- 25g unsalted butter
- 3tsp demerara sugar
- 100ml damson gin or port
- 1 cinnamon stick
- sterilised glass jars
Method
To make the mincemeat, melt the butter in a large pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, cinnamon and a good grating of nutmeg. Combine the dried fruit, grated apple, orange zest, orange juice and damson gin in a separate bowl (do this the night before if you get a chance).
Stir the butter into the fruit, mix well and spoon into sterilised jars. Mature for at least 1 month. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Score around the circumference of each apple with a sharp knife and arrange in an ovenproof dish.
Divide the mincemeat between the apples, using a fingertip to push the mixture into each. Top with a small knob of butter and 1/2tsp sugar, then pour the damson gin into the bottom of the dish.
Nestle in the cinnamon stick, then bake for 20 minutes, or until the apples are soft (this depends on the type of apple you’re using). Serve each apple with a spoonful of cooking liqueur.
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