Baked apples with porter cake crumbs and whiskey custard

A perfect, simple, but indulgent winter pudding from Trish Deseine's lovely new book about Irish cooking, Home. "Truly unbeatable when made with thick Irish cream, farmyard eggs and a dash of Bushmills."

Trish says "use Bramleys if you like your baked apples very fluffy and tart. Braeburns or any other eating apple will do otherwise."

For 4

10 minutes preparation

30 minutes cooking

4 medium sized Bramley, Braeburn or eating apples

50 g butter

4 teaspoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons porter cake (or dark fruit cake) crumbs

30 g butter

250 ml fresh milk

250 ml single cream

5 egg yolks

100 g sugar

Dash of Bushmills (or another Irish whiskey)

Core the apples, sit them upright in an ovenproof dish and put a little butter and a teaspoon of sugar in the gap where the core used to be.

Put them in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the custard and the crumbs.

Bring the milk and the cream to the boil in a saucepan but be very careful not to boil them.

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until they have doubled in volume and turned white.

Pour the hot milk onto the yolks, whisking as you go. Tip the eggy cream back into the pan and heat again, stirring all the while, until the custard starts to thicken. When the custard coats the back of a spoon, immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard into a cold serving bowl to prevent it from curdling. Add a dash of whiskey.

Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the crumbs until they are crispy. Let them cool slightly.

Serve the apples in bowls with the hot custard and the crumbs sprinkled over.

From Home: Recipes from Ireland by Trish Deseine published by Hachette at £25. photograph © Deidre Rooney. Food styling Trish Deseine

What to drink: This is such a homely recipe I'm not sure it needs anything by way of wine but you could serve a glass of barley wine (which is a beer)