It’s a Pupton of Apples!

Usually I bring home victorian era recipes.  Not this time.  We’re going back to the 18th century for this one, and probably a little older.  I’m not really sure on the true age of this particular recipe but I do know that it is good.

Doesn’t it look so lovely and bread like?

It’s called a ‘Pupton of Apples.’  Now, what’s a pupton?  I have no idea and I did do some searching and even the presenters at the house I worked in who have been there and are in charge, don’t really know.  It’s a mystery but I have found a great blog entry about the pupton to share and it does mention the Hannah Glass book that this one was taken from, so it’s a great resource if you’re interested.

smell up your home with some apples and cinnamon!

Basically how it goes is this:  You chop up at least 3 cups of apples (more if you’re an apple fiend like me) and fry them up with a cup and a half of sugar and only two tablespoons of water.  Trust me, that’s all you need to make a marmalade with your goodies.  Toss in as much cinnamon as you like and viola, something you can just gobble up with a spoon if you’re so inclined.  I almost did.

Rustic and homey feeling, right?

Next you take about two cups of bread crumbs.  I didn’t have any ‘modern’ ones who I toasted some bread and crumbled.  Homemade bread that’s been baked a bit in the oven tastes the best but no matter how you do it, it still works.  One to two eggs; I found that doing it either didn’t change it much taste and consistency-wise.  Then there’s a 1/4 lbs butter or one stick of butter, however you want to think of it.  Mix that all together and then add in your marmalade.  It’s a thick heavy mix but if it isn’t ‘mold-able’ add in some flour to help it out.

The more apples you cut, the more you get to enjoy.

But it in a bake dish at about 325-350 and bake.  Mine took about 30-40 minutes but I’m always checking it since this comes from a time when bake kettles are in fashion and you’re using coals.  What you end up with is a lovely, ‘rustic’ looking cake that tastes delicious fresh from the oven with a bit of ice cream.  If it was fall, oh man, I’d be making this weekly.

On a side note: dried apples work just as well, just remember that they soak up the water when frying them and you may have to add a bit more.  You end up with a more ‘candied’ mix than marmalade but just as tasty.