A few days ago I was speaking to someone about New Year resolutions and how the current trend is to shun the idea of "New Year, New You" and instead focus on how the current you is perfectly great just as you are. It's funny how our attitudes change over time based on our experiences and what those around us are doing. A few years back, I was all for starting January with a bang, and eating like it was the middle of the summer. Please tell me I'm not the only one who finds eating healthy much easier to do in the summer time. Yet here we are, still in the depths of Winter. It's freezing cold and a flu is circulating that's sure to hit a good many of us, if it hasn't already. Maybe not the best time to be hard on ourselves. If you've read my last blog post, you will know that this year I'm trying to start the New Year a little more gentle than I have done so in the past. My intention is to be kinder to myself and one of the ways I'm doing this is by making sure I have a little January treat each day. One morning this week I went out for my breakfast, another day I had a pedicure and last night I went for a pasta dinner for my friend's birthday. Today, I devoted a few uninterrupted hours to cooking; top of my list was something warming and tasty to enjoy with a cuppa.
This Apple Cobbler is pretty much an ideal sweet treat for this time of year. Number one, it's easy to make and doesn't take an age; in fact quite the opposite, there are basically two steps and then you are done. Number two, ignoring the whiskey, the ingredients are all pretty healthy. Its main ingredients are apples, pecans, honey, oats, butter and an egg. It strikes me that it's basically a reconstruction of a pretty healthy breakfast of porridge and eggs. And number three it'll make your kitchen smell divine: added bonus. I enjoyed it with creme fraiche but it would also be tasty with some natural yogurt or vanilla ice-cream.
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
1kg apples, peeled, cored and sliced in half
100ml whiskey
50ml honey
For the topping:
1/2 cup pecan nuts
1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
25g butter
2 tbsp honey
1 egg beaten
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C / Gas Mark 5.
Place the apple halves in a large saucepan and drizzle the whiskey and honey on top. Cover with a lid and place over a low heat for 25 minutes until the apples are soft.
To makes the fillings, add the pecan nuts and oats to a food processor or blender and blend into a flour like consistency. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and blend / blitz into a batter.
Place the apple halves in the bottom of a 9-inch round pie dish. Place the topping mixture in dollops around the apples. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving. Serve with creme fraiche or vanilla ice-cream.
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