Toffee apple squares

• eating apple950g g

  peeled, quartered, cored and sliced

• good squeeze lemon juice
• little caster sugar↗

  to taste

• caster sugar↗100g g
• pack butter↗250g g

  diced

• ground rice100g g
• plain flour↗200g g
• can condensed milk↗397g g
• butter↗85g g
• light muscovado sugar↗100g g
• couple pinches sea salt
• cornflake25g g
• pecan↗100g g

  very roughly chopped

• toasted whole almond100g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Put the apples in a saucepan with the lemon juice and 4 tbsp water. Cook gently, partly covered, for 10-15 mins until softened. Taste, adding any sugar if it needs it – you want it a little sharp though, to balance the sweetness of the topping. Leave to cool.

2. 2

   For the base, whizz everything together in a food processor. (If you don’t have one, rub the butter into the flour to crumbs, then stir in the sugar and ground rice.) Line the base of a roughly 18 x 28cm tin with baking parchment, then press the dough into the base.

3. 3

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the base for 20-25 mins until golden. Spread the cooled apples over the base.

4. 4

   For the topping, put the condensed milk, butter and sugar in a saucepan. Heat to melt the sugar and butter, then lower the heat and bubble for 10 mins or so until a pale fudge colour. Stir in the salt, cornflakes and nuts. Spoon all over the apples, gently spreading to cover. Return to the oven for another 15-22 mins until the topping is golden and crisp. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares. Can be stored for 1-2 days in an airtight container.