Special baked Bramley apples

Ingredients

100 g butter, room temperature

2 tbsp walnuts, broken

4 oatcakes, coarsely broken

4 Medjool dates, stoned and roughly chopped

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp Muscovado sugar

0.5 tsp coarse ground black pepper

1 pinch cloves, ground

1 small grating nutmeg

4 medium Bramley apples

4 bay leaves

To serve

4 dollops clotted cream (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7. Mix everything but the bay and apples in a mixing bowl thoroughly combining it all together. A splash of rum or whisky can be a welcome contribution.

Core the apples, then using a paring knife, widen the tunnel and cut more of a funnel shape in the top half of the hole in order to accommodate the goodies. Make a slit, just through the skin around the equator of the apple, so to speak.

Lay each apple in a baking tray each on top of a small square of baking paper. Stuff each apple well and insert a bay leaf lengthways down between the stuffing and the flesh of the apple.

Bake for 20mins or until the apple is totally soft and the slit has widened to reveal fluffy flesh.

If the stuffing appears to be burning on top simply press another little square of baking paper on top. Serve with an enormous dollop of clotted cream, if desired.