Books and cakes - 54

    "The table was laid, and held, besides, an apple pie, a bowl of cream, and a generous wedge of cheese. We had brought a bottle of champagne in with us, and we drank this with supper, then washed the dishes together, while the dusk drew slowly over the shining lake outside, and the thrush sang its heart out in the pear tree."

    If you've read the book you'll know that that passage describes the calm before the storm, of course, but still that simple meal gives us the 'cake' to go with Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat, our CBG book for October. I've made an open-faced apple tart using the pastry as in Nigella's blackberry galette (double quantities, and baked blind) topped with eating apples caramelised in the pan with butter, soft brown sugar and mixed spice, and served with cream. It's not as Mrs. Henderson would have done it for Rob and Bryony in the book, but the polenta pastry is very thin and crisp and not the slightest bit soggy.

    This isn't the first time Books and Cakes has featured an apple pie - do you remember this rather bizarre but surprisingly good specimen?