Apple And Poppy Seed Cakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 None small cooking apples, peeled, cored and grated
None None Juice of 1 lemon
50 g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 tbsp poppy seeds, plus extra to garnish (optional)
None None fine breadcrumbs, for coating
3 medium eggs, separated
100 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch None salt
150 g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
None None custard, to serve (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325\u00b0F. Mix the apple with the lemon juice and set aside. Heat the butter in a small skillet, add the poppy seeds and cook, stirring gently, for 2 mins. Remove and cool to room temperature.
Grease a 12 hole muffin pan with butter and coat each hole with the breadcrumbs. Shake out any excess breadcrumbs.
Using an electric hand whisk, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the vanilla extract. Beat for 3-5 mins until fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.
Fold the flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mix, stir in the poppy seeds and the egg whites and finally the apples. Fill the muffin holes so they are two-thirds full. Bake for 25-30 mins until cooked through. Cool on a wire rack for 30 mins. Remove from the muffin pan and serve sprinkled with extra poppy seeds if desired.