Calvados Ice Cream Food

APPLE CRUMBLE ICE CREAM WITH CALVADOS AND CRéME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• 1. To make the crumble, preheat the over to 350°F; position a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg until combined. Add the butter and, using a fork, cut it into the mixture until it resembles wet sand. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, or until chilled. Sprinkle the chilled crumble mixture over the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the crumble cool completely before breaking it into small pieces. Set aside.
• 3. To make the apples, in a saucepan, combine the apples, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and let the fruit macerate for 30 minutes. Place the saucepan over low heat and cook until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in the calvados; let cool to room temperature.
• 4. To make the ice cream base, pour the milk into a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Whisk in 1/2 cup (100 grams) of the sugar and the salt and stir until they have dissolved. Warm the mixture until you see stream rising from the top.
• 5. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set another bowl over it. Set aside.
• 6. In a medium bowl, with a kitchen towel underneath it to prevent slipping, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar until uniform. While whisking, add a splash of the hot dairy mixture, whisking it in bit by bit, until you've added about half. Add the yolk mixture to the remaining dairy mixture in the double boiler. Set the heat under the double boiler to medium and cook the custard, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat to medium-low as necessary, until steam begins to rise from the surface and the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Hold the spoon horizontally and run your finger through the custard. If the trail left by your finger stays separated, the custard is ready to be cooled.
• 7. Strain the custard into a bowl and stir in the crème fraîche. If the mixture seems a bit runny and has lost its thick consistency, return the custard to the double boiler, and cook, stirring, until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon. Repeat the finger gap test until the trail left by your finger stays separated. Strain the custard into the bowl sitting over the prepared ice bath, add the vanilla, and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the custard has cooled. Transfer the custard to a quart-size container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.
• 8. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place the container in which you refrigerated the custard in the freezer so you can use it to store the finished ice cream. Churn the ice cream until the texture resembles "soft serve." In the last 30 seconds of churning, add the crumble and the cooked apples. You can also manually fold the crumble and apples into the ice cream. Transfer the ice cream to the chilled storage container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately-it will be the consistency of gelato. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.

APPLES WITH CALVADOS AND ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Peel the apples, and cut them into 12 slices, making sure to remove the cores and stems. There should be about 4 cups.
• Melt the butter in a skillet, and add the apple slices and the lemon peel. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and cook over medium-high heat, gently stirring the apples and shaking the skillet so that they cook evenly. When the apples start to brown, add the Calvados. Turn up the heat, and tilt the pan. Then ignite the sauce with a long match. (The alcohol will burn off quickly.) Blend well.
• Put a scoop of ice cream into each of four individual serving dishes. Pour the apples on top and serve.

CALVADOS ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Pour half and half into heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Whisk sugar, yolks and corn syrup in medium heatproof bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture. Return to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain into bowl. Mix in crème fraîche and Calvados. Chill until cold. Transfer to ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to covered container; freeze. (Can be made 3 days ahead.)

CALVADOS CREAM

Steps:

• Whip cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Stir in Calvados. Use immediately.

ROASTED APPLES WITH CALVADOS AND CINNAMON ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, and use a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp into the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla-coated knife through the butter. Add the vanilla pod to the pan, and cook the butter and vanilla over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the butter browns and smells nutty. Remove from the heat, and discard the vanilla pod.
• Cut the apples in half through the core, and carefully remove the core and seeds with a paring knife (or, for a more dramatic presentation, leave the core and stems intact). Toss the apples in a large bowl with the sugars, brown butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, Calvados, and salt. Arrange the apples, cut side up, in a roasting pan. Top each half with the remaining sugar mixture from the mixing bowl.
• Bake the apples about 40 minutes, basting them with the pan juices every 10 minutes, until the flesh has pulled away from the skin and the apples are tender and carmelized.
• Arrange the warm apples on a large platter, and pour all the remaining juices over them. Serve with cinnamon ice cream and glasses of Calvados.
• Cinnamon Ice Cream
• Place the milk, cream, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the flavors infuse about 30 minutes.
• Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
• Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of the warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another 1/4 cup or so of the warm cream, whisking to incorporate. At this point, you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot and return to the stove.
• Cook the custard over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will thicken, and when it's done will coat the back of the spatula. Strain it and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. The base should be very cold before you churn it. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Note
• I like to leave some of the cores and stems intact-the apples are a little harder to eat, but so beautiful that way.