Baked toffee apple, and root ginger brioche pudding

serves 6/8

What really makes this dessert for me is the fresh ginger, it gives that refreshing, fiery heat that only ginger does!

ingredients

4 small dessert apples, peeled, cut into slim pieces, and left in cold water with a squeeze of lemon

(this preserves the colour)

brioche loaf 1 × 400g, crusts removed and cut into fingers or triangles

for the custard

2 free-range eggs

350ml full fat milk

50ml double cream

25g sugar

½ tsp of vanilla essence (or to taste)

for the caramel

200g light muscovado sugar

100g unsalted butter

125ml double cream

125ml full fat milk

2 tsp grated root ginger

method

1. Firstly, make the custard by gently warming the milk and cream in a saucepan. Do not let it boil. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and lightly whisk until pale. Add the warm milk mixture and gently stir, add the vanilla.

2. Butter an ovenproof dish. Put in a layer of apple then a layer of brioche, followed by more apple pieces, and then more brioche. Finish with a few pieces of apple.

3. Pour the custard over the brioche and apples, gently push down on the pudding.

4. Heat the oven to 120C/fan / gas 1.

5. Put the pudding in the oven and cook for 1 hour, to an internal temperature of 70°c.

6. Now for the caramel, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over a low heat, whisking constantly until thickened, remove once the internal temperature reaches 118°c - 120°c , the hotter the caramel gets the more brittle it will become, we want to be able to pour our sauce.

7. Pour the caramel over the cooked pudding, and place under a grill for few minutes, cook until golden. Watching closely as it can cook quickly.