Makes about 1.8kg, or enough for 30-40 regular sized pies
Ingredients
1 kg apples (I use mainly Bramley with a few Cox)
660g dried fruit (I would use 500g raisins and sultanas, the rest figs)
75g unsalted butter
50g almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
75g booze (I use Marsala and rum)
1 heaped tsp Mixed spice - ground
1 heaped tsp Cinnamon - ground
1/2 tsp Ginger - ground
3/4-1 tsp Cardamom - ground
200g demerara sugar
125g molasses sugar
125g light muscovado sugar
Method
Prep the apples - peel, core, chop in 2-3cm cubes, spread onto trays and roast at 160C for 25-30 mins turn down to 150C if catching.
For the last 10 minutes of the apple cooking time, add the butter and half the raisins and sultanas.
Prepare the remaining ingredients whilst the apples cook - remaining raisins and sultanas, chopped figs, almonds, orange and lemon zest, marsala, rum, spices and sugars (break up lumps of sugar) all into a bowl, and mix it up ready for the apple / butter mix.
Once apples are soft / cooked through, remove, mix well, then cool until able to handle.
Give the apple, butter and fruit a really good mix and mash the apple chunks as needed. Then mix this with the rest of the ingredients to combine - make sure all sugar is mixed through and no lumps.
Cool then refrigerate until ready to use. Best in the first 4-5 weeks, but if stored properly will last 2-3 months (keep it in an airtight container in the fridge).
