Cider-poached apples with toffee sauce & candied hazelnuts

Ingredients

For the poached apples

• 1 litre cider
• 150g light brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 6 eating apples

For the candied hazelnuts

• 50g granulated sugar
• 100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 25g butter, melted
• 1 egg white

For the toffee sauce

• 300ml double cream
• 100g light brown sugar
• 75g butter
• A few drops of vanilla essence

Method

Heat the cider, sugar, spices and lemon zest in a pan, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Peel the apples and spoon carefully into the hot cider. Bring the spiced cider to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for further 20 mins, until a sharp knife slips easily through the flesh of an apple. Take the pan off the heat and let the apples cool in the liquid.

Heat the oven to 190C. To make the candied hazelnuts, whisk the egg white for a minute or so until frothy, then gently fold in the granulated sugar, hazelnuts, most of the butter and a pinch of salt. Lightly grease a baking sheet with the leftover butter, then spread over the mixture.

Bake for 5-7 mins until golden; a watchful eye is recommended as it can burn pretty sharpish. Let it cool before breaking it up into little pieces.

Gently melt the cream, sugar, butter and vanilla essence together in a pan. Bring to a low bubble and keep stirring until the liquid is a thick, golden toffee colour.

Serve warm, plated with a poached apple and a sprinkle of candied nuts. For extra decadence, a spoonful of calvados cream is a worthy addition.

Image: Stuart Ovenden

Recipe from The Orchard Cook: Recipes from Tree to Table by Stuart Ovenden (Clearview)