Cranberry & Apple Soup

• This fruit soup is is both refreshing and warming in the winter.
• Do not make it too sweet – it needs to be slightly tart.
• Just like other soups this is served as a first course.
• This soup is delicious served hot.
• *
• Although not traditional I think it could be super for Wigilia (Christmas Eve).

Ingredients

• 300g cranberries
• 2 large cooking apples
• 100g granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of potato flour or cornflour
• Small cinnamon stick
• 8 cloves or allspice grains
• 1 – 1.5 litres of water
• *
• Little sponge cakes  to serve

Method

• Put the water and spices into a large saucepan.
• put the cranberries into the pan.
• Peel and core the apples, chop into large pieces and add them to the pan.
• Bring to the boil then simmer with a lid on the pan till the fruits are very soft.
• Remove the spices.
• Leave to cool a little and purée the liquid.
• You will find there is a lot of foam and cranberry skins on the top – remove these with a slotted spoon.
• You might want to sieve the remaining liquid through a sieve.
• Add the sugar to the liquid and bring to the boil.
• Mix the potato flour with a little water.
• Add this to the soup.
• Bring to the boil, stirring gently.
• Simmer and stir until the soup thickens.
• Serve with little sponge cakes.

Alfred Meakin – Midwinter – Spanish Garden soup dishes from the 1960s.