Serves 4
To our delight, my mother gave a reluctant nod on St. Patrick's Day to my father's Irish heritage by serving us cupcakes plastered with green icing. Today I prefer something a little less tooth-shatteringly sweet. This apple blackberry sponge pudding, beloved in both Ireland and England, starts with a layer of apples that are cooked on top of the stove, then turned into a shallow baking dish. To brighten the dessert, I've added berries in anticipation (or perhaps, longing) for spring. Top the fruit with a sponge batter, which is an easy cake to make. Everything bakes into a lightly sweetened Irish-style pudding. Serve warm with a blanket of confectioners' sugar.
| Butter (for the dish) | |
| 4 | large Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Cortland apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces |
| 3 | tablespoons light brown sugar |
| ¼ | cup water |
| ½ | pint (1 heaping cup) fresh or frozen blackberries |
| 1½ | teaspoons vanilla extract |
| 2 | eggs |
| ¼ | cup granulated sugar |
| Grated rind of 1/2 lemon | |
| ¾ | cup flour |
| ¾ | teaspoon baking powder |
| ⅛ | teaspoon salt |
| 4 | tablespoons unsalted butter, melted |
| 2 | tablespoons confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling) |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir the apples with the brown sugar and water. Cover the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft but still hold their shape.
3. Remove the lid and stir in the berries. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the berries release some of their juices. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Spread the fruit over the bottom of the baking dish.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon rind, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla for 1 minute, or until the eggs lighten in color.
5. Set a large strainer over the bowl of eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the strainer. Sift the dry ingredients into the eggs. Use a silicone spatula to stir the batter until blended. Stir in the melted butter.
6. Pour the batter over the fruit. Transfer the dish to the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is set in the middle and lightly browned.
7. Remove the dish from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.
Sally Pasley Vargas
Serves 4
To our delight, my mother gave a reluctant nod on St. Patrick's Day to my father's Irish heritage by serving us cupcakes plastered with green icing. Today I prefer something a little less tooth-shatteringly sweet. This apple blackberry sponge pudding, beloved in both Ireland and England, starts with a layer of apples that are cooked on top of the stove, then turned into a shallow baking dish. To brighten the dessert, I've added berries in anticipation (or perhaps, longing) for spring. Top the fruit with a sponge batter, which is an easy cake to make. Everything bakes into a lightly sweetened Irish-style pudding. Serve warm with a blanket of confectioners' sugar.
| Butter (for the dish) | |
| 4 | large Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Cortland apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces |
| 3 | tablespoons light brown sugar |
| ¼ | cup water |
| ½ | pint (1 heaping cup) fresh or frozen blackberries |
| 1½ | teaspoons vanilla extract |
| 2 | eggs |
| ¼ | cup granulated sugar |
| Grated rind of 1/2 lemon | |
| ¾ | cup flour |
| ¾ | teaspoon baking powder |
| ⅛ | teaspoon salt |
| 4 | tablespoons unsalted butter, melted |
| 2 | tablespoons confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling) |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir the apples with the brown sugar and water. Cover the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft but still hold their shape.
3. Remove the lid and stir in the berries. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the berries release some of their juices. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Spread the fruit over the bottom of the baking dish.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon rind, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla for 1 minute, or until the eggs lighten in color.
5. Set a large strainer over the bowl of eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the strainer. Sift the dry ingredients into the eggs. Use a silicone spatula to stir the batter until blended. Stir in the melted butter.
6. Pour the batter over the fruit. Transfer the dish to the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is set in the middle and lightly browned.
7. Remove the dish from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.