What Are Bramley Apples Good For?
Bramley apples are the epitome of Autumn in England. They feel comforting and homely and can be used in all manner of recipes.
Thanks to their juicy composition, they break down well in cooking and are ideal for both baking and boiling. They also have a wonderfully fluffy texture and uniquely delicious taste.
But if you’ve not worked with these apples before, you might be wondering what to do with them. After all, if you’re going to use traditional Bramley apples for cooking, you want to get it right!
So, in this guide, we’re going to take a look at what Bramley apples are good for and how you should use them in your kitchen.
Read on for our fun suggestions and exciting recipe ideas below.
They are great for making dessert
Let’s start off with the most obvious use for Bramley apples, to be turned into multiple delicious desserts.
There are lots of classic dishes you can create with these apples. As we said earlier, they break down really well, so you can make a gooey, warming dessert to end any meal.
Of course, by this, we mean your classic apple crumble and apple pie which pairs perfectly with hot custard or cold ice cream.
You could also make fritters with toffee sauce or apple steamed pudding.
And if you want branch out, you could even include multiple different fruits within your desserts. For example, apple and raspberry crumble, apple and pomegranate cobbler or apple and vanilla tart.
The options feel endless.
They are also good for baking
It’s not just desserts you can create either; Bramley apples are great for baking all sorts of goodies to enjoy throughout the day.
You could start with the humble apple cake. Then you have apple and cinnamon flapjacks, apple tray bakes, apple turnovers, and you can even use them in pancakes.
The deliciously light and crisp taste means you can enjoy your apple-based snacks at any time of the day. Whether you enjoy a pastry for breakfast, a cake at elevenses or a lunchtime treat, there is a Bramley bake to suit every time and mood.
They go really well in smoothies
The tartness of Bramley apples makes them ideal for use in fruit smoothies. They can help to cut the sweetness of the other fruits you put in. And, of course, as well as being tasty, these smoothies are also going to be good for you too.
They can be used to make sauces and jams
There are so many wonderful sauces and jams you can make with Bramley apples, and these can be paired with a selection of meals, from breakfast to supper, sweet to savoury.
Spiced apple jelly, for example, can go great with pork. It can also be used on cheese and crackers or even put in a sandwich. The same applies to apple chutney. And why not add additional flavours, such as cinnamon or blackberry?
Then there’s homemade apple sauce which can be added to porridge or desserts, and finally, apple butter which goes wonderfully on toast or alongside other options like scones.
Are you desperate to get cooking yet? Well, don’t rush off because we have some more ideas below.
They are perfect for lunch
So far, we’re pretty sure there isn’t a meal that Bramley apples don’t work with, but they can be particularly great for lunch.
Whether you want a traditional ploughman’s, a sandwich or a savoury tart, this can be a delicious way to give you a mid-day boost.
Cheese and apple sandwiches are a classic, or of course, you can just simply enjoy the apples and cheese with crackers. You can also find lots of recipes online for pies and tarts, such as cheese and apple pie – yes, we’ve gone a bit cheese mad, but can you blame us?
Then there’s spinach, stilton and apple tarts and even savoury apple soup. It’s really amazing how versatile this fruit can be.
They also pair great with meat
Finally, we’ve looked at a mixture of sweet and savoury dishes, though these apples do tend to lend themselves to sweet treats such as pies, crumbles and cakes.
However, Bramley apples can also be used to pair perfectly with meats and savoury meals. Earlier, we talked about adding spiced jelly to your pork, but you can also slow-cook this pork with the apples just as they are.
And last but not least, if you carefully slice the apples, you can use these to make bacon and apple-wrapped steaks or apple and bacon steamed suet pudding, which can be both be very comforting and filling dishes.