Caramelized Apples: One Recipe with Many Variations

 RSS    

Fresh fall apples are so good that they barely need any help to become a fabulous dessert. Just a few minutes in a hot skillet with a little melted butter and some spices is all that's needed to caramelize the apples and coat them in delicious syrup.

From there, we can use these caramelized apples to make anything from turnovers to quick apple tarts. We can even just spoon them over morning pancakes or a bowl of ice cream!

Not all apples are great for baking. At the farmers market, ask the seller which apples they recommend for baking. At the grocery store, stick with varieties like Gala, Cortland, Empire or Rome. A mix of several kinds gives desserts interesting layers of flavor.

CARAMELIZED APPLES

Serves 4-6

3 baking apples (about 1.5 pounds), see above for varieties

1 tablespoon butter

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

Pinch of salt

Peel all the apples and slice them into quarters. Trim out the inner core and seeds, and cut each quarter into thin slices.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add butter and swirl until the foaming subsides and the butter begins to turn deep golden. Add the apples to the pan, turning to coat them evenly. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they have developed a brown sear and are beginning to soften around the edges.

Add the lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir to get up any caramelized bits. Reduce the heat to medium and add the brown sugar, spices and a pinch of salt. Cook until the brown sugar has dissolved into a syrup and all the apples are evenly coated.

Cooked apples will keep refrigerated for up to one week.

CARAMELIZED APPLE CREPES

Serves 4-6

1 cup whole milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs

3 tablespoons melted butter, plus extra for the pan

Pinch of salt

1 batch caramelized apples (recipe above)

Whisk together the milk, flour, eggs, butter and salt until no lumps remain. Cover the dish and let it rest in the fridge for one hour or overnight.

When ready to cook, heat a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small sliver of butter and swirl to coat the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add about 1/4 cup of batter, tilting the pan as you pour so the batter forms a very thin layer. This takes some practice, so don't worry if the first few crepes don't turn out quite right! Cook until the edges of the crepe start to curl, about 1 minute. Flip the crepe and cook the second side about 30 seconds.

Keep finished crepes warm on a plate covered with aluminum foil. To serve, lay a scoop of apples on the crepe and roll it up. Drizzle some of the leftover apple syrup over the top.

CARAMELIZED APPLE TURNOVERS

Serves 6-8

15-20 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed

1 stick butter, melted

1 batch caramelized apples (recipe above)

Granulated sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 375-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Lay one sheet of phyllo dough on a clean work surface. Keep the rest of the sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel. Brush the sheet with melted butter. Lay a second sheet on top of the first, and brush with more butter. Continue until you have five sheets of dough fused together. Brush the final layer with butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Cut the stack in half length-wise into two long strips. Mound a scoop of the apple filling near the end of one of the strips. Fold one corner over the filling to make a triangle. Continue folding this triangle of filling over and over again until the whole strip has been folded. Brush the top with butter, sprinkle with sugar, and transfer to the baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining strip, and then repeat the layering and folding process with the remaining sheets of phyllo. You should end up with 6-8 turnovers depending on how full you've made them.

Bake until very crisp and golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Best if eaten the same day.

CARAMELIZED APPLE TART

Serves 4-6

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed 30 minutes

1 batch caramelized apples (recipe above)

Melted butter

Pre-heat oven to 400-degrees.

Unfold the puff pastry onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. If the pastry cracks, use dampened fingers to mold it together again.

Score a 1-inch border around the edge of the pastry sheet and brush with melted butter. Arrange the cooked apples within this border in any pattern you like.

Bake until the edge of the pastry is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Best if eaten the same day.

 RSS    

Caramelized Apples: One Recipe with Many Variations - Emma Christensen Recipes

(c) 2009 Emma Christensen