Baked Apple with Tea Infused Dried Fruit

I had been making bara brith, a welsh tea bread for my partner's snack lunches when I found myself with too much dried fruit soaked in tea so I decided to stuff it into an apple and bake it with some brown sugar and nuts. An easy peasy autumnal dessert which is also very quick to make in the microwave  Cooked in the microwave they aren't as pretty and are more inclined to slump like the one below though but hey dessert doesn't always have to be pretty.

Baked Apple with Tea Infused Dried Fruit (Serves 2)

Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free

Ingredients
8tbs/1/2 cup Mixed dried fruit
2 Bramley/cooking apples
4tbs/1/4 cup Hot strong tea, I used earl grey
4tbs/1/4 cup Brown sugar
2tbs Mixed chopped nuts
1tbs Margarine (vegan and dairy free as required)
1/2tsp Ground mixed spice

Method

• If cooking in the oven preheat to 180degree C/350F/Gas mark4.
• Pour the hot tea over the dried fruit and allow them to soak up the tea. 
• Core the apples and score around the centre/equator of the apple with a sharp knife. 
• Once the dried fruit is nice and plump, drain and mix the fruit with the margarine, sugar, mixed spice and nuts and combine. Spoon this mixture into the apples and place on a baking sheet if cooking in the oven and cover the tops where the stuffing mixture is exposed with small pieces of foil to prevent the filling burning before the apple is done. Or place on a microwaveable plate if using the microwave but don't use any foil. 
• Bake in the oven for 45-60 mins until apple is cooked through. Serve hot from the oven.
• To cook in the microwave heat on full for 3 minutes and check whether the apple is cooked then if not heat for 1 minute intervals until the apple is cooked through. Be careful as bramleys are liable to turn to mush if over cooked. Serve hot.