Dyfed Lloyd Evans asked:
It was the Romans who first formalized meals into courses, starting with Gustatio (starters or appetizers), followed by Primae Mensae (main courses) and then Secundae (Desserts).
Of course, the following of a main savoury dish with something sweet (even if it’s only a fruit) is as old as humanity itself. This hearkens back to human origins, when we were mostly fruit-eaters and sweetness was linked to the ripeness of fruit. The sweetness of ripe fruit being something we crave, still. Indeed, many of our desserts are an attempt to capture the taste, texture and sweetness of fruit; whether that be through the incorporation of fruit flavours or the addition of sweeteners such as honey or sugar.
Even the textures of many desserts, especially if they are custard or egg sponge based are could be described as fruit-like in consistency. Just imagine biting into a floury apple or a peach then think of a sponge or a set custard.
Admittedly, one of the favourite dessert ingredients today is chocolate, buy you have to remember that chocolate is a fat extracted from a fruit seed that’s then sweetened with sugar. So chocolate isn’t a million miles away from the fruit from which it’s produced.
Below are recipes for two classic desserts, one made with fruit the other incorporating fruit.
Baked Apples
Ingredients:
4 firm baking apples (I like small Bramleys or Cox’s for their tartness)
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
45g chopped walnuts
45g currants
45g chopped figs
1 tbsp butter
180ml boiling water
Method:
Wash the apples then dry them and using a sharp knife and a spoon cut and scoop out the cores to form a well about 3cm in diameter that drops down to within 1cm of the base of the fruit (leave the base whole).
Meanwhile, sir together the fruit and nuts in a bowl and add the sugar and cinnamon. Spoon this mixture into the wells you formed in the apples then transfer the fruit to a baking dish. Dot the top of each well with butter then pour the boiling water into the base of the baking dish. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 190
It was the Romans who first formalized meals into courses, starting with Gustatio (starters or appetizers), followed by Primae Mensae (main courses) and then Secundae (Desserts).
Of course, the following of a main savoury dish with something sweet (even if it’s only a fruit) is as old as humanity itself. This hearkens back to human origins, when we were mostly fruit-eaters and sweetness was linked to the ripeness of fruit. The sweetness of ripe fruit being something we crave, still. Indeed, many of our desserts are an attempt to capture the taste, texture and sweetness of fruit; whether that be through the incorporation of fruit flavours or the addition of sweeteners such as honey or sugar.
Even the textures of many desserts, especially if they are custard or egg sponge based are could be described as fruit-like in consistency. Just imagine biting into a floury apple or a peach then think of a sponge or a set custard.
Admittedly, one of the favourite dessert ingredients today is chocolate, buy you have to remember that chocolate is a fat extracted from a fruit seed that’s then sweetened with sugar. So chocolate isn’t a million miles away from the fruit from which it’s produced.
Below are recipes for two classic desserts, one made with fruit the other incorporating fruit.
Baked Apples
Ingredients:
4 firm baking apples (I like small Bramleys or Cox’s for their tartness)
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
45g chopped walnuts
45g currants
45g chopped figs
1 tbsp butter
180ml boiling water
Method:
Wash the apples then dry them and using a sharp knife and a spoon cut and scoop out the cores to form a well about 3cm in diameter that drops down to within 1cm of the base of the fruit (leave the base whole).
Meanwhile, sir together the fruit and nuts in a bowl and add the sugar and cinnamon. Spoon this mixture into the wells you formed in the apples then transfer the fruit to a baking dish. Dot the top of each well with butter then pour the boiling water into the base of the baking dish. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 190