Cardamom adds a new touch to an old favourite. Some desserts never date. Try these fluffy sweet apples, hidden under a blanket of sweet cardamom pastry. Use pears instead for a variation.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups flour
• 1-2 tsp cardamom
• 175 grams butter
• 2 tblsp icing or caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• about ¼ cup cold water
• 4 medium-sized eating apples, cored and peeled
• ¼ cup fruit mincemeat
• beaten egg or milk to glaze

Method

1. Sift the flour, icing sugar and cardamom into a bowl. Rub in the butter until it looks like sand or breadcrumbs.
2. Mix in the egg yolk and sufficient water to make a firm dough. Turn out on a floured board and knead into a ball.
3. Divide the pastry into four and roll each out to approximately 24-25cm round.
4. Place the peeled and cored apple upside-down in the centre of the pastry round. Fill the centre of each apple with fruit mincemeat.
5. Bring the pastry up evenly around the apple to completely enclose.
6. Place the apple join-side-down on a greased baking tray. Cut a cross in the top to allow the steam to escape. Brush with egg or milk to glaze and decorate with left over pastry scraps if wished.
7. Bake at 200ºC for 35-50 minutes depending on the size. Serve with whipped cream or custard. If wished save the apple stalks and place in the centre of the apple before serving.