We love fruit here at The Madhouse so when Mumsnet said they were looking for volunteers to try out a new type of homegrown apple, we jumped at the chance. The producers explain on the Zari website : "Zari apples are exclusive to AC Goatham in the UK; we have planted 80 acres on various sites including 10 acres on our earliest site at Griffin's farm, Sutton Valence. 80 acres of trees is about 45 football pitches in area, planted with just under 84,000 apple trees. Zari are ready to eat right at the beginning of the English apples season and we begin picking them at the beginning of August, this means they will be in the shops for most of the summer holidays, perfect for picnics on days out."
Well, with the British summer being such a wash-out, they actually took a while longer than planned to ripen so you can find them in the shops now. Eaten as they are or sliced into wedges, we all thought they were lovely, with a crisp, sweet taste that was really refreshing, but we also tried out a couple of the recipes suggested by Zari and found that they cook up lovely too. I've pasted the recipes below in case you want to try them out too !
Zari Tarte Tatin
Ingredients
- 400g plain flour
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- 125g caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 4 teaspoon sunflower oil
- 350ml milk
- 2 Zari apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Preheat your oven to 200C.
If you have a mixer, place all the dry ingredients in the bowl, turn onto a medium speed and gradually add the eggs, then the oil and finally the milk.
If you are making the mix by hand: place the plain flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice into a bowl and stir in sugar. Beat the egg in a measuring jug and add the oil. Continue beating until light and fluffy. Next add the milk and whisk together. Fold the egg, oil and milk mixture into the dry ingredients.
Now gently add in the chopped apples; please be careful not to over mix.
Spoon the mixture into muffin tray lined with muffin cases.
Bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden.
Zari Apple Muffins
Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 200C.
If you have a mixer, place all the dry ingredients in the bowl, turn onto a medium speed and gradually add the eggs, then the oil and finally the milk.
If you are making the mix by hand: place the plain flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice into a bowl and stir in sugar. Beat the egg in a measuring jug and add the oil. Continue beating until light and fluffy. Next add the milk and whisk together. Fold the egg, oil and milk mixture into the dry ingredients.
Now gently add in the chopped apples; please be careful not to over mix.
Spoon the mixture into muffin tray lined with muffin cases.
Bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden.
Zari apple Muffins are also lovely cooked with raspberries, just add a small punnet of fruit along with the apple pieces for a delicious fruity treat (you can also leave out the spices and add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract if you prefer)
Disclosure : We received a tray of Zari apples (and a rather funky apple slicer) in order to provide feedback via Mumsnet.
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Whenever i cook with apples it always ends up stodgy or dry, there's never been an in between. I wonder if its because I don't have a gas oven. (Or I am a terrible cook!) Love the muffins.
ReplyDeleteMaybe try caramelising the apple wedges in butter in a frying pan before transferring them to the cake/pie.
Deleteyummmm will have to get shopping, these look delicious
ReplyDeleteI have not seen these yet in the shops. I'll go looking.
ReplyDelete