Don’t get me wrong – I’ve got nothing against Annabel Langbein’s recipes as featured on her TV programme The Free Range Cook. I just wish this obviously bright and successful woman could add a few more adjectives to her vocabulary! Her superfluous gushing of ‘so good’, ‘so delicious’, ‘so easy’ and ‘so yum’ send me into a groaning fit. On the other side of the culinary coin, Nigella finds ways to promote food porn unlike any other TV chef: everything glistens, oozes and sparkles; and often contains bucket loads of cream and/or butter. But at least she has fun with her metaphors.

Nici Wickes of World Kitchen is another presenter with an annoying habit of using the same inane ways to describe what she’s cooking or eating - and with a rool Nyew Zilund accent to boot. Still, I watch, and on occasion might feel inspired to emulate one of her recipes.

Likewise with Annabel; I made her pakora and double chocolate hazelnut ripple the other week. Very nice, thank you. And this week I made her baked apples, which I remember Mama Chan making when I was young. Such an easy dessert that I’d forgotten all about. I added meringue on top for a deluxe version.

4 apples, cored
Mix together:
½ c chopped walnuts
¼ c dessicated coconut
¼ c brown sugar
cinnamon
½ c raisins or dates, first soaked in a liquer such as brandy, rum, cointreau
I actually didn’t measure any of these ingredients, just guessed.

1 egg white, whipped till soft peaks form

Score the skin around the middle of the apples or you can peel off the top half of the skin. Fill core cavities with mixture; really pack it in. Scatter rest inside the baking dish. Add about a cup of water to the dish.

Bake until cooked through at 180 C. Spoon egg white on top and cook for another 5-10 mins until golden.