Autumn Fruits With Cinnamon Custard Food

AUTUMN TRIFLE W/ ROASTED APPLES, PEARS AND PUMPKIN-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For cinnamon pastry cream: Whisk yolks and 1/2 cup milk in large bowl. Add sugar, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Bring 1 1/2 cups milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk milk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook until custard thickens and boils, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Add butter and stir until melted. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.).
• For pumpkin-caramel sauce: Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and cook until mixture is deep amber, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes (mixture will be grainy). Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Stir until caramel bits dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin; stir until heated. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.).
• For roasted fruit: Preheat oven to 400°F Mix apples, pears, and lemon juice in large bowl. Place butter on rimmed baking sheet. Heat in oven until butter melts and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add fruit to baking sheet and toss with butter. Roast until fruit is soft and golden, turning with metal spatula every 15 minutes, about 1 hour. Cool fruit on sheet.
• For assembly: Place ladyfingers, flat side up, on baking sheet. Brush with Sherry. Line bottom of 2- or 3-quart glass trifle dish with single layer of ladyfingers, Sherry side up. Line bottom edge with 1 row of ladyfingers, Sherry side in, pressing gently against dish. Spoon half of pastry cream into lined dish; smooth top. Cover with half of fruit. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over. Line edge of dish with second row of ladyfingers, Sherry side inches Cover fruit with single layer of ladyfingers. Spoon remaining pastry cream over. Cover with remaining fruit. Drizzle fruit with 1/2 cup caramel sauce. Line edge of dish with third row of ladyfingers, Sherry side inches Chill at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.).
• Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla in bowl until mixture holds peaks. Fill pastry bag fitted with large rosette tip with whipped cream and pipe over trifle (or spoon whipped cream over). (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead; chill.) Drizzle whipped cream with 2 tablespoons caramel sauce. Brush pear slices with lemon juice; arrange decoratively atop whipped cream. Serve, passing remaining caramel sauce separately.

AUTUMN TRIFLE WITH ROASTED APPLES, PEARS, AND PUMPKIN-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For cinnamon pastry cream:
• Whisk yolks and 1/2 cup milk in large bowl. Add sugar, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Bring 1 1/2 cups milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk milk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook until custard thickens and boils, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Add butter and stir until melted. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For pumpkin-caramel sauce:
• Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and cook until mixture is deep amber, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes (mixture will be grainy). Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Stir until caramel bits dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin; stir until heated. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• For roasted fruit:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix apples, pears, and lemon juice in large bowl. Place butter on rimmed baking sheet. Heat in oven until butter melts and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add fruit to baking sheet and toss with butter. Roast until fruit is soft and golden, turning with metal spatula every 15 minutes, about 1 hour. Cool fruit on sheet.
• For assembly:
• Place ladyfingers, flat side up, on baking sheet. Brush with Sherry. Line bottom of 2- or 3-quart glass trifle dish with single layer of ladyfingers, Sherry side up. Line bottom edge with 1 row of ladyfingers, Sherry side in, pressing gently against dish. Spoon half of pastry cream into lined dish; smooth top. Cover with half of fruit. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over. Line edge of dish with second row of ladyfingers, Sherry side in. Cover fruit with single layer of ladyfingers. Spoon remaining pastry cream over. Cover with remaining fruit. Drizzle fruit with 1/2 cup caramel sauce. Line edge of dish with third row of ladyfingers, Sherry side in. Chill at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla in bowl until mixture holds peaks. Fill pastry bag fitted with large rosette tip with whipped cream and pipe over trifle (or spoon whipped cream over). (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead; chill.) Drizzle whipped cream with 2 tablespoons caramel sauce. Brush pear slices with lemon juice; arrange decoratively atop whipped cream. Serve, passing remaining caramel sauce separately.

LEMON FLAN WITH AUTUMN FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• For fruit compote:
• Bring grape juice to boil in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 1 hour. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until fruit is tender and liquid is reduced and slightly syrupy, about 1 hour longer. Transfer compote to large bowl. Let stand at room temperature until cool, about 2 hours.
• For flans:
• Spoon 2 teaspoons liquid from fruit compote into each of six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Cover and refrigerate remaining fruit compote overnight.
• Combine milk, sugar, lemon peel, and salt in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and let milk mixture steep at room temperature 1 hour. Return milk mixture to simmer. Strain into small bowl; discard lemon peel.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk warm milk mixture into egg mixture. Divide custard among prepared soufflé dishes. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of soufflé dishes. Bake custards until centers are set and thin knife inserted at edge of dish cleanly separates custard from dish, about 45 minutes. Remove flans from water. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate flans uncovered overnight.
• Run small thin knife around flans to loosen. Invert each flan onto plate. Spoon fruit compote and syrup over and around flans and serve.