Mrs Beeton has 13 apple recipes in her Pudding section alone. Here is one that is sure to be a hit with those who love a dish of rice pudding too!

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 cooking apples
• 1 ¼ pints of milk
• 2 tablespoon short-grain white rice (pudding rice)
• 1 heaped tablespoon of sugar
• 1 oz butter
• Rind of half a lemon
• Pinch of salt
• Raspberry jam (or sugar and butter. Or both.)

Method:

1. Wash the rice and place it in a saucepan with the salt, lemon rind and milk.
2. Simmer until most – but not all – the milk is absorbed and the rice becomes tender.
3. Take it from the heat and stir in the butter and the sugar.
4. Remove the lemon rind.
5. Peel and core the apples.
6. Place them in a pie dish and fill their cavities with the jam (or butter sugar mix if using)
7. Fill the spaces between the apples with the rice.
8. Bake in a ‘slow oven’ (150 to 165 degrees Celsius or just above gas mark 2) for about 30 minutes or until the apples are tender but not falling apart.

Tip – for a bit of a change you can substitute the jam with sultanas and a sprinkle of mixed spice or cinnamon…delicious!