Brown Sugar Toasted Fruit Loaf, Blackberry Cream, Poached Apples and Blackberries

Cooking with Paula McIntyre

Brown sugar toasted fruit loaf

4 thick slices fruit loaf or barmbrack 75g soft butter 50g soft brown sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon mixed spice

Set oven to 180°c and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Mix the butter, sugar, vanilla and spice to a smooth paste. Spread over both sides of the loaf and place in oven for 20 minutes, turning over half way.

Blackberry cream

150g blackberries 75g castor sugar 200g mascarpone 250ml double cream

Cook the blackberries with the sugar for 5 minutes then blend to a smooth puree and pass through a sieve to remove seeds. Cool.

Whisk into the mascarpone and cream until thick. Poached apples 2 red eating apples 35g castor sugar 100ml water Juice 1 lemon

Place the sugar, water and lemon in a small pan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Quarter, peel and core apples. Slice thinly and place in hot liquid. Cook for 5 minutes then cool.

Spoon some of the blackberry cream onto hot toast and add some poached apples and a few blackberries to garnish.