Indulgence for Breakfast

After spending last weekend in London, Fi & I came back to Oxford with another haul of allotment treasure.  Part of the batch this time around was a bag of Bramley cooking apples, which I'd never before tasted.  Allegedly, they're so sour that biting into one raw will turn your face, & attempting to eat the whole of it will upset your stomach beyond repair.  Intrigued by this hearsay, I tried my fate & can confirm: the raw taste is unpleasant.  Once chopped up & roasted with a few cupfuls of sugar, however, the Bramleys made for some pretty fine applesauce.  Where does one go from there?  Stewed apple French toast, of course:

Fi found this Nigel Slater recipe (below) in the Guardian online, & we thought we'd give it a shot this morning.  As you can see, I topped the toast with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar, but otherwise, I followed the recipe to the letter.  Totally delicious.

French Toast with Stewed Apple & Blackberries

Per person:

2 slices white bread

Butter

2 heaped tbsp stewed apple

A handful of blackberries (or raspberries)

2 eggs

2 tbsp caster sugar

Remove the crusts from the bread, & butter on both sides. Mash the stewed apple with a fork. Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl with the sugar. Dip the slices of bread into the egg, then pile the filling on one half of the bread. Place the second slice over the top, & press down firmly around the edges. Melt the butter in a shallow pan. When it starts to froth, add the sandwich, & fry till golden underneath. Turn over, & cook the other side. Remove with a spatula, & drain briefly on kitchen paper before sprinkling with blackberries & eating.