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How to make baked Bramley apple with lemon, raspberry and basil

Toby Keel Toby Keel

It's the perfect time of year to make the most of the Bramley apple harvest — and this recipe makes the apple the star, rather than just one of the ingredients.

The first Bramley apple tree was grown in 1809 by a young girl in Nottinghamshire named Mary Ann Brailsford, who planted it from a pip. Her apples went on to earn a reputation as great cookers, but it wasn’t until decades later, after her house was sold to a man named Matthew Bramley, that they found a new audience.

It wasn’t Bramley who made that happen, however. He was a butcher, not a farmer, but in 1856 some of his apples were seen by a young plant nursery worker named Henry Merryweather. Merryweather, just 17 at the time, found out where they’d been grown and asked permission to take cuttings. Bramley agreed, on condition that the variety bore his name — and today, 76 million Bramley apples are grown each year in Britain alone.

This recipe, incidentally, comes from the Great British Apples growers’ consortium— they have dozens more recipes here.

Ingredients

Serves 1

  • 1 Bramley apple
  • 60g raspberries
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • Sprig of basil, leaves finely shredded
  • 1 tsp lemon zest and juice
  • 3 tbsp granola, to serve
  • Greek yoghurt, to serve

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Method

Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan).

Score the circumference of the apple with a sharp knife. Scoop out the core and a little of the flesh to make room for the filling.

Mix the raspberries with sugar, basil, lemon zest and juice. Stuff the middle of the apple with this mixture.

Place apple in a baking dish, put the apple top back on and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the apple is soft and tinged golden brown.

Serve with Greek yoghurt and granola on the side.