French Apple pie

This apple pie recipe is a classic and very easy to prepare. I made this over the weekend and is great served with icecream or whiped cream. We also finished it off the following day with a cup of tea.

sweet short pastry
1 lb apples (such as granny smith)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cream
3 tb cognac or calvados brandy if you have it.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375° F / 190 °C.

Step 2: Peel, quarter, cut the apples into slices. Toss them in a bowl with 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon. Arrange them in the pastry shell. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Then let cool.

Step 3: Beat the egg and 1/2 cup of sugar until mixture is pale yellow. Beat in the flour, then the cream, and finally the brandy. Pour in the mixture over the apples.

Step 4: Return to oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and return again to oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with cram or ice cream!

Mussel Chowder

Mussel chowder is so easy to make and is one of the cheapest tastiest soups around.
Simply buy fresh mussels from the fish monger steam them with a glass of white wine with the lid on. Onced the shells have opened pull out the beards and chop finely. Then sweat an onion and some garlic -add a diced red pepper, chopped chilli, diced pototo fish stock and simmer till spuds are cooked. Then add the chopped mussels and fresh parsley, corriander, juice of a lime. You can also add coconut milk once it has cooled down. Serve with hot crusty herb bread!

OLIEBOLLEN- DUTCH APPLE DONUTS

I visited the Nelson Markets over the weekend and tried these delicious dutch apple donuts called Oliebollen.
They are a bit like a deep fried muffin in essence. They can't be good for the waistline but thats why they were so tasty!
Oliebllen literally translates as oil balls and are normally eaten on new year's eve and at fun fairs.
They are said to have been first eaten by Germanic tribes in the Netherlands during the Yule, the period between December 26 and January 6. The Germanic goddess Perchta, together with evil spirits, would fly through the mid-winter sky. To appease these spirits, food was offered, much of which contained deep-fried dough. It was said Perchta would try to cut open the bellies of all she came across, but because of the fat in the oliebollen, her sword would slide off the body of whoever ate them.