We have a week for everything it seems. Last week was both Chocolate Week and Curry Week. Typically I only found out about both over halfway through the week itself, though decided against trying to find a way to combine them.
Calvados week, however,I have had notice of, plenty of notice. Pere Magloire, along with the Drinks Enthusiast held an event back September to showcase both the spirit itself, and our host venue, The Blue Pig, to show off some of the food and drinks they’ll be offering.
Unsurprisingly, it was fabulous. With cocktails featuring all expressions of the Pere Magliore brandy, and food that made the best use of the apple brandy, including a chutney from chef that somehiw made its way home with me and onto my cheeseboard.
I can’t imagine how that happened.
But it got me thinking about using it in cooking myself. And, while there are delicious recipes for using it with pork, like this beauty from Delia, or in a tart, like this one from Raymond Blanc, I wanted something distinctly wintery. So I took an old favourite and adapted it with a few tweaks here and there.
What resulted is a rich, sweet, sticky stodgy malt loaf, intensely appley and definitely boozy. Great for eating in front of the fire when the skies are grey and the rain is beating a staccato on the rooftop.
Apple and Ginger Malt Loaf
Ingredients
For the cake
- 250 g Self raising flour
- Unsalted butter for greasing
- 75 ml Apple juice
- 75 ml Pere Magloire Calvados
- 175 g Malt extract plus extra for glazing
- 85 g Dark muscovado sugar
- 200 g Dried apple slices
- 100 g Crystalised ginger optional, you can omit this and use more apple
- 2 large eggs beaten
For finishing
- 4 tbsps malt extract
- 30 ml of Pere Magloire Calvados
Instructions
-
Warm the apple juice and rum in a pan until it just starts to bubble. Then pour over the apple and ginger, and leave to stand.
-
In the meantime, you can pre-heat then oven (150C/Gas Mark 2).
-
Using butter and baking parchment, grease and line a small loaf tin.
-
Pour the fruit and liquid into a bowl with the malt extract and muscavado sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
-
Add the beaten eggs and stir again.
-
Add the flour and stir until combined.
-
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
-
Before the cake cools completely, warm through the extra malt extract and Calvados, just until they combine and form a loose syrup. While they are warming, poke holes into your cake with a sharp knife or skewer, leaving the cake in the tin.
-
Taking the syrup, paint the cake liberally, letting it seep into the holes, until there is no syrup left.
-
Now the hard bit. This cake is better the longer it is left. So if you can, wrap it in clingfilm, in the tin and parchment, and leave it for 3-4 days. You'll have a sticky, sweet, stodgy cake.
-
Serve sliced with butter and a cup of tea, or warm it through and serve with vanilla ice cream, or custard.
Recipe Notes
As mentioned, the cake is better, the longer you leave it. If you can't wait, it's still damned good, but it does benefit from being rested.
If you must have a booze free version, swap out the Calvados for black tea.
Adapted from Not So Jamaican Ginger Cake
If you want to take part in National Calvados Week and can’t wait for your bake, then there are lots of bars and restaurants across Manchester taking part in Calvados week, from San Carlo Fumo, to The Blue Pig, to Cloud 23. For more details nationally you can find information on their Facebook page.
