This week in episode two, Tastes Like Home looks back at Catherine’s visit to Donegal and Tiny Township in Canada as well as creating new dishes based on the flavours she tasted during her Canadian travels.
In Canada, Catherine visits the Apple Pie trail, a Maple tree farm to discover how Maple Syrup is made and stops at Blue Mountain the local ski resort. This week Catherine will teach us how to cook sweet lovers delight, Maple Taffy, and for the cheese lovers, Irish Cheddar Cheese Curd Poutine with smoked bacon and whiskey gravy followed by a Spiced Bramley Apple Cake with Maple Whiskey Glaze – mouth watering!
Serves 8 to 10
For the Cake
200g softened butter
180g light brown sugar
4 eggs
1 bramley apple
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ lemon, zest only
60ml milk
For the Topping
3 pink lady apples
100ml maple syrup
40g butter
3 tbsp Whiskey
Optional for a Frosting
500g mascarpone
3 tbsp sour cream
140g icing sugar
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
Line a 22cm loose base springform tin with baking parchment.
Place the butter and sugar into a mixer and whisk until light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs together in a bowl with a fork and mix in stages into the butter and sugar, adding 1 tbsp of flour to stabilise as needed
Quickly peel and dice small the bramley apple, then fold into the egg mixture.
Sift the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together.
Fold the flour and spices into the egg mixture and add the lemon zest.
Add the milk in to form a soft cake batter.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
Insert a skewer to check that it is ready. It should come out clean.
Cool on a rack before taking out of the tin.
Meantime, pour the maple syrup into a pan with the butter and whiskey and leave to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until a fluid sauce forms, stirring from time to time. Slice the pink lady apples in even wedges and add them to the sauce and leave to cook a little, until the apples absorb the lovely flavours from the sauce. Then let cool
To make the frosting whisk together the mascarpone, sour cream, lemon zest and juice and icing sugar. Taste and adjust as needed by adding more lemon or icing sugar.
To decorate spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake and arrange the apples in a rose petal fashion on top.