*Apple Butterscotch Pudding Cake*
Serves 6

A delicious dessert topped with a fluffy raisin sponge atop tart sliced apples in a delicious butterscotch sauce that appears as if by magic!

4 large Granny Smith or other cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 4 cups)

For the sponge:
150g self raising flour (1 1/3 cups)
50g caster sugar (generous 1/4 cup)
80g unsalted butter, chilled and diced (5 1/2 TBS)
1 medium free range egg
100ml milk (7 TBS))
the finely grated zest of one unwaxed lemon
50g of raisins or currants if you prefer (generous 1/3 cup)

For the Sauce:
80g light muscovado sugar (6 1/2 TBS)
25g unsalted butter (2 TBS)
100ml water (7 TBS)
Pinch fine sea salt
the juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.  Have ready a 2 litre oval gratin or other shallow oven proof dish.

Whisk the flour and sugar for the sponge together in a bowl.  Drop in the butter.  Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.  Beat together the egg and milk.  Stir in along with the lemon zest and the raisings.  Arrange the apple slices in the bottom of the dish and smooth the sponge mixture on top.

Place the sugar, butter, water and salt for the sauce into a small saucepan.  Bring to the boil.  Whisk in the lemon juice and then pour this mixture over top of the batter in the dish.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake is golden brown on top and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before spooning out into dessert dishes to serve.  (A scoop of icecream goes nicely!)