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Twice-Baked Apples with Honey-Caramel Chantilly, Honey-Caramel Sauce and Cheddar Crisps

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TREND: HOLIDAY CATERING

SOURCE: CHEF CATHY BARRON AND CULINARY STUDENT KELLY FLANAGAN-HENRY, NIAGARA FALLS CULINARY INSTITUTE

Offer an upscale twist on homestyle cheddar-topped apple pie with this decadent variation. This dessert has multiple components, but all are low-cost and easily scalable for a crowd. Plus, everything can be made in advance. The super-easy cheddar crisps would be a great garnish for soups and salads as well.

Ingredients

Spiced tuiles
4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup, 1 tbsp., 1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. grated or ground nutmeg
8 3/4 tbsp. clarified butter

Steps

  1. Whisk egg whites and sugar in medium-sized stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. Continue to gently whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is just warm to the touch.

  2. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in flour and spices until blended.

  3. Mix in the clarified butter.

  4. Transfer the batter to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days before using.

  5. Preheat oven to 350 F.

  6. Line a half-sheet pan with silicon baking mat.

  7. Make or use a stencil with 3-inch diameter circles. Spread a small amount of tuile batter evenly over stencil; lift stencil and bake tuilles until golden brown.

Twice-Baked Apples

Ingredients

4 Gala apples, peeled, cored and halved crosswise (each piece should have a hole in center)
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp. water
2 cups plus 2 1/2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 1/4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, mixed to taste (enough to cover bottom of large baking dish)

Steps

  1. In medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, water and salt.

  2. Cook over medium-high heat, occasionally washing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Watch sugar mixture carefully, until it caramelizes and turns deep amber, about 3-5 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, warm heavy cream.

  4. Remove sugar mixture from heat and slowly add warm heavy cream. Return pan to heat and stir caramel until any hardened bits have dissolved. Stir in butter until melted. Add the vanilla.

  5. Cool caramel and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

  6. Preheat oven to 300 F. Arrange apples, cut-sides up, in large baking pan.

  7. Pour caramel over apples and bake 60 minutes or until tender, flipping apples over halfway through. (If caramel starts to burn, add 2 tbsp. water, as needed.) Remove apples; cool and chill until firm.

  8. Strain remaining caramel into a shallow pan and reserve for Chantilly Cream.

  9. Cut each apple half in half, retaining the center hole. In large baking pan, sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and granulated sugar to cover bottom of pan. Arrange apples, cut side down, on sugar mixture. Bake until sugar starts to caramelize, 10-15 minutes.

  10. Cool completely and store at room temperature, covered with aluminum foil, until ready to use.

Honey Caramel Chantilly Cream

Ingredients

Reserved, strained, chilled caramel from baked apples
Honey
2 cups heavy cream

Steps

  1. In medium-sized saucepan, combine chilled caramel and honey in a 3:1 ratio (example, 1 cup caramel to 1/3 cup honey). Simmer over medium heat until mixture is reduced by one-third. Cool completely.

  2. In mixer bowl, measure heavy cream. Using whisk attachment, whisk until cream forms medium peaks. Fold in honey-caramel, reserving some for garnish.

  3. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, scoop out 8 balls of cream onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. Loosely cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Place remaining cream into a pastry bag fitted with a plain, medium tip and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cheddar Crisps

Ingredients

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. On baking pan lined with silicone baking mat, spread out shredded cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbly and has started to brown around edges.

  2. Remove and cool. Cut into desired shapes and set aside for garnish.

  3. To assemble: Per serving, drizzle caramel on a plate and top with a Spiced Tuile. Place one apple slice on top of tuile and fill center hole with some of Honey-Caramel Chantilly Cream from the piping bag.

  4. Repeat until you’ve used three Spiced Tuiles and two apple slices, ending with a tuile on top.

  5. Arrange one chilled Chantilly Cream scoop on top and garnish with Cheddar Crisps.

Yield: 8 servings

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