Autumn apple recipes for Dutch baby pancakes and Waldorf salad

The word could be said to represent all fruit, hence many other fruits having this appendix – most famously the pineapple, even though it is nothing like an apple.

It is likely that the apple in the Bible, from the tree of knowledge, was actually a relative, the quince. They are many varieites of apple, and their versatility in cooking can be seen in the these three recipes.

With these apple tarts the fruit is first softened in the microwave (Image: Kerstin Rodgers)
Rose Apple Blossom Tarts (serves 8)

You will need a microwave and a cupcake or muffin tin. I use a red-skinned apple for a hint of blush at the edges of the 'petals'.

Ingredients:

4 Pink Lady or Royal Gala apples
1 lemon, squeezed
1 pack all butter readymade puff pastry 320g
100g of melted butter
1/2 jar of rose jam
1 or 2 tbsp cinnamon or cardamom, ground 
Pinch maldon salt
2 or 3 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

Prepare a bowl of acidulated water (cold water with lemon juice) to prevent browning. Core the apples, and cut them in quarters.

Slice thinly into half-moons (a mandolin is useful for this). 
Put them into a large bowl of cold water with the lemon.
Microwave the bowl of sliced apples for 5 minutes until soft enough to bend slightly but not cook them.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Roll out the puff pastry. Divide into 8 sections by cutting the roll into quarters then halving each quarter. You will end up with 8 approximately 6cm strips.
Brush the strip with melted butter then paint with a layer of rose jam. You can then dust with either ground cinnamon or cardamom.
Lay the apple slices along the top of the pastry strip, overlapping them.

Fold up the bottom half of the pastry strip to make a pleat with the skin side of the apple half moon poking over the top.
Roll up the folded pastry strips until they look like a rose made of apple at the top
Place 'rose' side up, in a buttered cupcake tin
Repeat until all are done and bake for 20 -30 minutes.
Using a tea strainer or small sieve, sprinkle with icing sugar.

The apple and cheese Dutch baby pancake is cooked in the oven in a cast iron pan (Image: Kerstin Rodgers)Apple and Cheese Dutch Baby Pancake

You will need a 25cm cast iron pan which can go in the oven

Ingredients:
160g plain flour
200ml whole milk
3 large eggs
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsps unsalted butter
2 green or red apples cored, sliced into half moons 1cm thick
100g cheddar cheese, grated
Black pepper, ground

Method:

Heat the oven to 200ºC. Preheat your cast iron pan.
Make the batter in a blender/food processor or with a whisk, by combining the flour, milk, eggs, salt.
Leave the batter to 'rest' for 20 minutes.
Grease the pan thickly with the butter and bed down the apple slices in one layer. Crowd them in as they will shrink as they cook.
Slowly fry the apple slices in the butter mix on the top of the stove.
Then pour the batter into the cast iron pan over the apples. Next, add the cheese.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Serve on the table in the pan. Season to taste.

Kerstin used crisp South African Braemars for this classic salad which uses the same dressing as a Caesar salad (Image: Kerstin Rodgers)
Waldorf Salad (serves 4)

I was sent some South African apples, crisp sweet Braemars, which were too good to cook. This is an old recipe, created in the last days of the 19th century in the big kitchen of the Waldorf hotel. The vegetarian version often contains grapes; I decided to pickle them and use pickled walnuts as well. This salad can be served as a starter, a side or an accompaniment to a cheese course. 

Ingredients:

For the pickled grapes (optional):
150ml white wine vinegar
2 tbsp of sugar
3 tbsp of salt
250ml water
250g of grapes, washed, de-stemmed

For the salad:
1 baby gem lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
2 Braemar apples, halved and sliced thinly into half moons
2 sticks of celery, thinly sliced
75g of walnut
3 large pickled walnuts, thinly sliced

For the dressing:
1 egg
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 anchovy, minced finely
125ml of walnut oil, or a mix of walnut and groundnut oil
3 tbsps apple cider vinegar
40g parmesan
Twist white pepper

There are many varieties of apple with some more suitable for different recipes (Image: Kerstin Rodgers)Method:
Use white seedless grapes, I used 'sultana' grapes from my local shop Where2Save. In a small saucepan, on a low heat, dissolve the sugar and salt in the white wine vinegar and water. Using a sterile jar, place the grapes, then pour over the vinegar mixture. Seal and leave for a few days before using. A good cupboard staple.

To assemble the salad:
Place the leaves at the bottom of the bowl, then add the slices of apple and the crescents of celery. Sprinkle over the walnuts, then dress the salad.

The dressing is based on another classic American salad, the Caesar salad.

Coddle the egg by cooking it in boiling water for one minute. Crack it into a bowl, add the mustard, garlic and anchovy, whisk until smooth. Add the oil very slowly, whisking by hand or in a blender, so that it emulsifies. 
Then add the vinegar, the parmesan cheese and the pepper.
Finally, add the pickled walnuts and pickled grapes.