Normandy Apple and Honey Brioche Pudding With Calvados Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 110 g honey
• 75 g unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 kg apples, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced
• 75 g raisins
• 150 g brioche bread
• 150 g light muscovado sugar
• 3 drops vanilla extract
• 150 g ground almonds
• 150 g unsalted butter (cold and diced)
• 315 g creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons calvados
• 75 g icing sugar, sifted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C, fan 160 C, gas mark 4.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat 110 g honey and 75 g unsalted butter over low heat until melted.
3. Stir in the 1 1/4 kg sliced apples and 75 g raisins until the apples are coated in the honey-butter mixture, then transfer the fruit mixture to a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish.
4. Without removing the crusts, break the 150 g brioche bread into pieces and whirl it in a food processor until it forms crumbs.
5. Add the remaining topping ingredients—150 g light muscovado sugar, 3 drops of vanilla extract, 150 g ground almonds, and 150 g cold diced unsalted butter—and pulse until finely crumbed; stop before it turns into a dough.
6. Evenly scatter the topping crumbs over the apple and raisin mixture.
7. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the topping is lightly golden and the fruit is bubbling at the edges; cover with foil after the first 20 minutes to prevent over-browning.
8. While the pudding bakes, prepare the Calvados Cream by whisking together 315 g crème fraîche, 2 tablespoons of calvados, and 75 g sifted icing sugar in a bowl; cover and chill until ready to serve.
9. Serve the pudding hot, about 10 to 15 minutes after removing it from the oven, alongside the chilled Calvados Cream.