apple cobbler

450g cooking apples peeled cored and thinly sliced

50g soft light brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

50g  stoned dates chopped

2 firm bananas thickly sliced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Scone topping:

225g  plain flour

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

50g butter or hard margarine

150ml milk plus extra for brushing

rind of 1 orange and 1/2 teaspoon orange juice

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Arrange the apples in a 900 ml  ovenproof dish sprinkle with the sugar and pour on the orange juice.

Stir in the dates and cover the fruit with the bananas tossed in the lemon juice.

To make the scone topping sift together the flour ginger soda and cream of tartar and rub in the fat until the mixture is like crumbs.

Stir together the milk orange rind and juice and pour on to the dry ingredients. 

Mix to a dough and knead it until it is smooth.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1cm. 

Cut out rounds with a5cm cutter.

Arrange the scone rounds on the fruit brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with the demerara sugar.

Bake the cobbler in a preheated oven (220c/425f/gas7) for 20 minutes or until the topping is well risen and golden brown. 

Serve hot.

Serves 4