Quick Apple Puree

This apple puree has a wonderfully fresh, definite apple flavour, is high in fibre and pectin, and is excellent served for dessert with Greek-style yoghurt, cream or icecream, and perhaps a cookie or brownie! It is good with cereal and yoghurt for breakfast, too.

(I always use a liquid sugar substitute when I make this mixture, and nobody has ever noticed any difference. I am careful not to use more than is needed.)

Ingredients

For 3 - 4 cups of puree:

• 750g - 1 kg cooking apples or sweet-tart eating apples
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup orange juice or extra water
• about ¼ tsp artificial sweetener or sugar to taste

Method

Quarter the unpeeled apples, cut away the central core, and place the quarters in a microwave-proof bowl big enough to hold all the apples with a little space to spare. Add the liquid, cover the bowl with a lid or cling film and cook on High power for 10 minutes. Stir the apples at this stage. If some pieces are not cooked, push them towards the outside of the dish and have the cooked pieces nearer the centre. Cover again and cook for another five minutes, then puree the mixture, skin and all, using a good quality "electric wand" or puree in a food processor or " mouli" in several batches if necessary. (The skin should completely disappear.)

Add the sweetener, mix well and taste, adding extra until you have the flavour you want, or add sugar a little at a time, again until the puree is the desired sweetness. Refrigerate in a covered container, for 4 - 5 days.

(I use Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Cox's Orange apples)

Suggested Wines to Go With Today's Recipe

SAVIGNO BLANC:

Allan Scott

Seresin Estate

Or PORT:

Grahams