• 4 dessert apples, peeled, cored and diced
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• seeds from 4 cardamom pods
• brown sugar, to taste
• 3 oz / 85 g unsalted butter
• 3 oz / 85 g raisins, currants or sultanas
• 3 sheets filo pastry
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 oz / 30 g flaked almonds

Cook the apples gently for 5–8 minutes with the spices, a little sugar, half the butter and the dried fruit. Cut the sheets of pastry into four quarters, and trim each to a square. Laying the squares, one on top of the other, and brushing each with melted butter before you use it, line each of four small buttered ramekins with three sheets of filo pastry, each one placed on top of the other at a slight angle so that the twelve points show separately. Spoon the fruit into the pastry-lined ramekins, stand them on a baking sheet, and bake in the centre of a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F / Mark 4 for 10–12 minutes. When just cool enough to handle, ease the pastries out of the ramekins, and transfer to small serving plates. Heat the apricot jam and water together, and spoon this glaze over the apple. Scatter hot toasted almonds on top, and serve immediately, with or without cream.