Winter is officially here! Apple pie is good for the soul at any time of year, but especially now, when it’s hard to resist hauling into hibernation. Add some extra indulgence (as a reward for staying warm) with a dark choc crumble.

Apple and dark choc crumble tart

Serves 8 | Prep 40 mins | Cook 45 mins

Tart crust

• 180g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Apple filling

• 5-6 Granny Smith apples
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Dark chocolate crumble

• 80g unsalted butter
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
• 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Place all tart crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse it until it comes together into a smooth ball. Transfer the ball to a 24cm quiche or tart pan and press the mixture evenly across the base and up the side of the tart case. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling and topping.

Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into quarters and thinly slice each quarter into 6 thin slices and half those in the middle. Place all apples into a large bowl and add the lemon juice, sugar, cornflour, cinnamon, and cardamom and mix well.

To make the crumble, place the butter, flour and sugar in a bowl and rub the mixture between your fingertips until the mixture clumps together in medium to large crumbs. Add almonds and dark chocolate to the mixture and stir to combine.

Remove the tart crust from the fridge and top with the apple mixture, then cover the apples with the crumble mixture and bake for 45-50 minutes until the crust and crumble are golden.

Set aside to cool for 10 minutes then serve warm with ice cream.

Mixed Mushroom and Thyme Strudel

Serves 4-6 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 40 mins

• 40g unsalted butter
• 3 French shallots, finely chopped
• 500g mixed mushrooms (Swiss brown and portobello were used here), chopped
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 3-4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 40g Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-2 tsp black sesame seeds
• Crème fraîche, to serve

Melt butter in a large frypan over medium heat and sauté shallots for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing regularly. Then add the white wine halfway through cooking the mushrooms. Add the cornflour, thyme leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well then set aside to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Unroll the puff pastry and lay it vertically in front of you on a sheet of baking paper. Sprinkle the middle third of the pastry vertically with the parmesan cheese leaving a 5cm border at the top and bottom. Top the cheese with the mushroom mixture and spread it out evenly. With the dough either side of the filling, cut 2cm strips from top to bottom stopping at the edge of the filling using a sharp paring knife. Fold the strips up over the filling ensuring they crisscross each other by alternating strips from each side.

Transfer the braid to a 1L bake tray lined with baking paper, brush the top of the braid with beaten egg and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 180°C and continue to bake for 30 minutes or until the braid is golden.

Serve immediately with crème fraîche.

Get the latest Canberra news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.