Wine-poached apples and rhubarb with walnut and cinnamon crumbs

Using a vegetable peeler, peel apples vertically in strips to create a striped effect. Using a melon baller, core apples from the bottom, keeping top intact.

Combine 500ml (2 cups) water, wine, sugar, spices, zest and juice in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add apples and reduce heat until barely simmering. Cover surface with a round of baking paper and cook for 15 minutes. Add rhubarb, re-cover with paper and cook for 10 minutes or until rhubarb is just soft. Cool fruit in syrup.

Meanwhile, remove crusts from bread and tear bread into small pieces. Heat butter in a frying pan until foaming, add bread and walnuts, and stir for 5 minutes or until golden. Scatter over extra sugar and ground cinnamon and stir for a further 2 minutes or until caramelised.

Fill cavities of apples with nut mixture, then place an apple in each bowl with rhubarb and a little syrup. Serve with mascarpone to the side.