Apple & Budyń Cake

• I have tried out several versions of cake that has apples and budyń – Polish custard in the middle.
• After many attemps, this is the best for baking and for cutting up afterwards.
• It consists of 4 parts: – 
• A shortcrust base and sides
• Cooking apples – half cooked
• 500ml of  budyń
• Kruszonka topping – rich crumble mix
• I made this in a rectangular baking tin – 26 x 21cm.

INGREDIENTS

• Shortcrust pastry – enough to cover the base & sides of the tin.
• 3-4 large cooking apples – peeled and cored – half cooked with sugar and a little cinnamon added.
• Budyń made with 500ml of milk & 3 egg yolks.
• Kruszonka – crumble mixture – made with 125g of plain flour, 100g butter and 80 – 100g of granulated sugar. (Will be doing a post on this later)

Royal Doulton, sonnet, tea plate.

METHOD

• Chop the apples and cook them with the sugar (to taste – not too sweet).
• Add a little cinnamon.
• Leave to cool.
• Make the budyń with 500ml milk, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 3 tablespoons of potato starch & 3 egg yolks.
• Leave to cool.
• Make the kruszonka – crumble mixture –  with 125g of plain flour, 100g butter and 80 – 100g of granulated sugar –
• Rubbing the butter into the flour to resemble bread crumbs and stir in the sugar.
• *
• Pre-heat the oven to GM7 – 220°C.
• Grease and line with one sheet of baking paper – 2 sides and the base of  the 26 x 21cm tin.
• Roll out the shortcrust pastry to cover the base and all sides of the tin.
• Piece carefully when needed.
• Prick carefully with a fork the base.
• Using baking beans – bake the pastry blind for 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking beans and flaten the pastry gently if need be and bake for another minute.
• Remove the tin from the oven and leave to cool a little.
• *
• Turn the oven down to GM5 – 190°C.
• Cover the pastry with the apples – spreading out to cover the base.
• Cover the apples with the budyń – spreading it out to cover the apples.
• Sprinkle the crumble mixture over all the budyń.
• Put back in the oven and bake for around 50 – 60 minutes until the top is golden.
• Leave to go cold completely before serving.

Testers said they loved the different textures of the crumble against soft custard.