Ingredients: For the apple cider syrup
85ml Sheppy’s 200 cider, 20g brown sugar
Method:
Add to a small sauce pan. Simmer on medium low for 15 minutes , stirring occasionally, or till mixture thickens and reduces to half. take off heat and allow to cool off a little
Ingredients:
150g butter melted, 150g granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp salt,1 tsp mixed pie spice, 1tsp cinnamon, The Apple cider syrup – you have already made, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 eggs, 150g flour, 3 TBSP your favourite salted caramel sauce or we love Toffee Apple Curd., 3 large apples peeled and thinly sliced, Flaked almonds
Method:
Cut the unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl.
Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter has melted.
Turn on the oven and pre heat on 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of kitchen foil (or non-stick baking parchment) to line the base. Tip the plain flour into a sieve held over a bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps. Add the salt, mixed spice, cinnamon.
Break eggs into a large bowl and tip in golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar, and apple cider syrup . They will look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.
Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy mixture and resift the flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.
Gently fold in this powder. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing.
Add the apples. Stir to mix throughout.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it.
Sprinkle if desired some flaked almonds on the top before you place in the oven.
Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you’re using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you’re using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil (or parchment). Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles.
They’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.