Do we have anything for pudding?

That's one of my housemate's favourite questions after we've had dinner and sitting around in a vain attempt to put off work/washing up for as long as possible. And normally my answer is sadly 'no' but when we have more time, we do like to make a pudding - it can't get much cosier than sitting around with your friends with a hot baked pudding and lashing of custard! 


So here's one of my favourite puddings to make on a cold winter's day - apples with vanilla sponge over the top and a golden syrup sauce. You could also use pears in this as well if you want. It also tastes even better if you make one of your housemates run to the shops for milk to make custard when it's nearing 0'C outside :P (thanks Lucy! :D)

For the sponge:


5 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (any apples will do)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
250g butter, at room temperature
250g sugar
3 eggs
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder


For the sauce:


6 Tbsp golden syrup
200ml water


1. Preheat the oven to 200'C. Lay the apples in a baking dish/pie dish and if you like spicy apples, sprinkle the cinnamon over the apples and toss to cover all the chunks.
2. In a big bowl, beat the soft butter with the sugar until creamy and pale with a wooden spoon. Crack in the eggs one at a time and mix until it's all incorporated. Add the flour and baking powder and lightly mix it in until you have a smooth batter (but try not to over-mix). Spoon the batter over the apples and smooth the top with a knife.
3. Put the golden syrup and water for the sauce in a little saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the syrup is runny and warm. Pour over the batter (ok, it might not look so pretty now with the sauce floating on top of the batter but it'll look and taste delicious later!).
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes (you might want to put some foil over the dish if the top browns too fast as it might because of the golden syrup) and serve whilst still fairly hot but be warned, the golden syrup is very hot so you might want to cool it a bit before eating if you can resist the temptation! Whip up some custard whilst you're waiting!