Apples and pears

We all know that apples and pears should be eaten raw, and preferably unpeeled to benefit from their fibre, vitamins and minerals. Both these traditional autumn fruits make favourite breakfast and lunchbox fare and star in delicious crisp winter salads, paired with nuts, cheese and leaves.

But, their versatility as ingredients in soups and stews, puds and bakes are as important, and this is where this new batch of fruity recipes come in.

Simply grouped into sections like Quick and Easy, Favourite Feasts, and Grand Finales, tempting brunch and supper snacks are followed by main courses, scrumptious desserts, and a few teatime treats.

There are delicious new twists on old favourites including versions using less fat and oil for health-conscious cooks.

Each dish is illustrated by an appetising full-colour photograph and the book finishes with a table of the various varieties of apple and pear we can find in our supermarkets and greengrocers at different times of the year.

The seasons are listed in weeks of the year, starting with Granny Smith apples which start their harvest season in the 12th week of the year, toward the end of March.

The collection was created and styled by Megan Hughes who is a new product developer for convenience foods for a supermarket chain. Here are a few of her recipes to try this weekend.

Baked apple and caramel bread pudding

This comfort dessert will banish winter blues whatever the temperature. Serve hot with thin custard.

80g butter, softened

16 slices white bread

Half can caramelised condensed milk

3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into rings

400ml milk

250ml cream

50ml castor sugar

3 eggs

5ml icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

Lightly butter a large, fairly deep baking dish then use the remaining butter to butter each slice of bread on one side.

Spread the slices with the caramel treat, dividing evenly.

Arrange the apple slices over the caramel.

Cut each slice of bread diagonally in half, then arrange them, standing on edge in the baking dish.

Heat the milk and cream together, but do not boil.

Whisk the eggs and castor sugar together.

Slowly pour the hot milk over the eggs, stirring continuously.

Pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread, making sure all gets covered with the liquid.

Leave pudding to stand for 30 minutes, then bake for 40 minutes.

Remove and sift over the icing sugar. Serve with custard.

Sweet potato, apple and ginger soup

15ml olive oil

10ml unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

5ml fresh root ginger, finely grated

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

About 480g sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

60ml vegetable stock powder

1 litre boiling water

5ml fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Lemon juice

5ml castor sugar

5ml ground black pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion, and sweat gently, covered, for about 5 minutes.

Add the ginger, apple and sweet potato and fry gently, covered, about 7 minutes. Dissolve the stock powder in the boiling water and add to the saucepan, along with the coriander, lemon juice sugar and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and cook half-covered for about 20 minutes or until sweet potato is tender.

Cool a little before puréeing the soup in batches. Serve hot, garnished with more fresh coriander, if wanted.

Green bean, bacon and pear affair

A crisp, colourful and healthy snack meal which only needs crusty bread to accompany. Replace pricy pinenuts with roasted almonds if preferred and the bacon with chicken “bacon” for a change.

200g fresh green beans

50g pine nuts

5ml olive oil

10ml unsalted butter

60g streaky bacon, diced

1 crisp pear, cored and cubed

25g feta cheese, crumbled

Top and tail the beans and slice diagonally, then steam for about 5 minutes, until al dente.

Place the nuts in a non-stick frying pan and toast them, tossing, over high heat, for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and leave to cool. Heat the oil and half of the butter in the pan, add the bacon and fry until crisp, then drain on paper towel.

Wipe the pan clean, heat the remaining butter, add the pear, and toss gently for 1 minute.

Pour the pear and butter in pan over the beans, stir in the bacon, sprinkle over the nuts, crumble over the feta and serve.

Cinnamon and apple oat cookies

Use any brown sugar if you cannot find muscovado, which is from Barbados and flavoured with molasses.

100g soft unsalted butter

50g muscovado sugar

70g white sugar

1 egg, beaten

140g cake flour, sifted

50g oats, not instant

5ml ground cinnamon

Pinch bicarbonate of soda

5 - 6 apples, peeled, cored and grated

Icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease two to three non-stick baking sheets. Combine the butter and sugars in a large bowl and cream together with an electric beater until pale and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the egg. In another bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda. Fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture, along with the grated apple, to form a dough.

Roll 15ml of the dough into small balls, place on baking sheets and flatten with a fork. Bake for about 17 minutes. Leave on baking sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar before storing.

Pear and almond shortbread

3 pears, peeled, cored and sliced

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

150g self-raising flour, sifted

30g diced almonds

50g muscovado sugar

150g butter

125g cream cheese

1 egg

100g flaked almonds

15ml icing sugar

Preheat oven to 190ºC. Toss the pear slices in the lemon juice. Mix together the flour, diced almonds, lemon zest and muscovado sugar. Rub in the butter, using fingertips, to form a dough.

Lightly grease a loose-bottomed cake tin and press dough in, levelling top. Prick well with a fork, then bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, and arrange pear slices over the shortbread base. Whisk the cream cheese and egg together, and pour over the pears. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and return to oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Cool before sifting over the icing sugar. Cut into bars.

Apple tarts with thyme cream

An easy and piquant appetiser that makes a good starter or light supper. Cream cheese could be replaced with creamed cottage cheese if preferred and unsalted butter with salted butter. If you cannot find lemon thyme, use ordinary thyme and add lemony flavour by sprinkling the sliced apple with fresh lemon juice.

400g puff pastry, defrosted, at room temperature

1 egg, beaten

15g unsalted butter

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

100ml cream

140ml cream cheese, beaten

5ml chopped lemon thyme

Preheat oven to 200ºC

Cut the pastry into 12.5cm x 11.5cm rectangles. Using a sharp knife, cut a 1cm border around the edges of each rectangle.

Brush pastry surfaces with the beaten egg. Heat the butter, add the apple slices and gently fry for 1 minute on each side.

Leave to cool slightly, then arrange the apple in the centre of the rectangles, making sure that the border stays clear. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden and puffed.

When ready to serve, whisk the cream until thick, and whisk into the cream cheese along with the chopped thyme. Top each tart with a blob of thyme cream.