Lilly Higgins: This appley mashed potato with fried onions and black pudding is the ultimate comfort food

I’m inundated with requests from readers and on Instagram for recipes that use apples.

For years we had lots of trees in our own garden and are in the process of cultivating another little orchard now too. Homegrown apples and pears always taste the best. It’s such a treat when neighbours hand over bags of rosy-cheeked eating apples or my parents give us a box of Bramleys. It’s so seasonal and something I look forward to every autumn.

There are only so many crumbles, tarts and apple cakes that can be made and eaten so I love making apple butter too. It’s an age-old tradition of cooking apples over an extended period, usually overnight or for a few hours at least, till it becomes a dark, rich condensed spread, often sweetened with sugar, brandy or whiskey and gently spiced. I love it and it comes in handy for topping scones, adding to gravy or cakes, and serving with pork.

A simple apple sauce is another great and versatile way to preserve this seasonal treat. Peel and simmer down apples, then purée or gently mash them, then freeze.

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Apples also come in handy for adding to curries, gravy or in the delicious German dish, heaven and earth. Also known as himmel und erde, it’s a comfort food I’ve been making for my children for years. It consists of cooked apples mashed into potatoes and then topped with fried onions and black pudding. Heaven refers to the apples from up high in the trees, and earth is in the form of potatoes dug from the soil. Known since the 18th century, this dish may be the ultimate comfort food.

Tart apples are best for this and just a touch of nutmeg to echo the gentle spices in the black pudding.

My favourite type of pudding is the soft, cakey, gently spiced variety that is cut from a large slab. Kerry is a great area for black pudding, with Annascaul and Sneem both producing gorgeous traditional pudding made with fresh blood instead of dried. This traditional style pudding is a rich source of iron and naturally low in fat. I usually fry the pudding with wedges of apple and have it with a salad or potato rösti. It’s also incredible with softly poached eggs as well as being paired regularly with scallops.

Black pudding makes a fantastic addition to stuffing for chicken or pork, and of course no fried breakfast is complete without pudding on the side. It’s incredibly versatile and can be dressed up or down to suit the occasion, making it my number one quick supper ingredient to have in the fridge.

Recipe: Heaven and earth