Cider Glaze Apple Chips And Crystallized Ginger Food

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Place ginger in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Partially cover saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil until ginger is almost cooked through but still slightly al dente, about 1 hour. Drain.
• Weigh cooked ginger and return it to saucepan with an equal amount of sugar. Add 2 tablespoons water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, until ginger becomes translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring, until ginger is crystallized and begins to clump in the middle of the pan.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle a large rimmed baking sheet with sugar. Pour crystallized ginger onto prepared baking sheet and roll in sugar, separating pieces. Transfer to a sterilized jar and store in a cool place for 3 to 6 months.

APPLE CIDER GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Into an 8 inch round cake pan, sift together the flour, brown sugar, ground ginger, and baking soda.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the apple cider, oil, molasses, vinegar and crystallized ginger.
• With a fork just stir until the batter is smooth.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool.

CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil over medium heat; continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, with a paring knife, slice ginger crosswire very thinly (about 1/8 inch thick). You should have about 1 cup.
• Add ginger slices to pan; simmer over medium-low heat until translucent and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer ginger to a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper; spread pieces so they are not touching. Let drain. Reserve ginger syrup (let cool; refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 month).
• Pour 1/4 cup sugar into a small bowl; coat ginger slices, 1 or 2 at a time, in sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 month.

APPLE BOURBON BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons bourbon and the candied ginger. Let stand 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar and remaining butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and vanilla. Pour in the bourbon from the ginger mixture (reserve ginger) and whisk until smooth. Stir in zest.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the dry mixture and sour cream mixture to the wet mixture in three additions, alternating between the two. Fold in the ginger, apples and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out dry, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in the pan 20 minutes, then run a paring knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake; cool, flat side down, on a wire rack.
• While the cake cools, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup whiskey in a small saucepan. Over low heat, gently stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the lemon juice and take off the heat.
• While the cake cools, make 10 slits on top with a paring knife and pour half the bourbon-sugar mixture on the still-warm cake. When the cake is fully cool, flip it and pour the rest of the glaze on the other side, then flip again to serve.

APPLE CIDER AND GINGER ALE

Steps:

• Mix in a punch bowl.
• Or serve per glass, filling the glass half full of cider and topping it off with the ginger ale.

APPLE CIDER AND BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

Steps:

• Bring cider, brown sugar and cloves to boil in a small non-reactive saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/3 cups, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Glaze will thicken as it cools between bastings; cook over medium heat about 1 minute, stirring once or twice, before using.

CANDIED PINEAPPLE SLICES

Steps:

• Bring pineapple juice, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil; cook on medium heat 4 minutes. Add pineapple slices; simmer on low heat, turning frequently, 45 minutes or until translucent.
• Transfer slices to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees until pineapple caramelizes and is less sticky, 60 to 90 minutes. Let cool on rack.

PEAR CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat (such as a Silpat); set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; keep at a simmer as you proceed.
• Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice pear lengthwise as thinly as possible; make sure that each slice remains intact and is uniformly thick. Do not worry about removing seeds or the core (they soften during baking). Squeeze lemon halves over pear slices, coating both sides with juice. Place slices in simmering syrup; cook 2 minutes. Remove slices with a slotted spoon and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
• Bake pear slices until they are dry to the touch, about 2 hours. Using a small offset spatula, loosen edges of slices; use your hands to peel pears from the sheet, then flip them over. Return pears to oven; bake, checking frequently, until chips are completely dry and crisp (but not browned), about 20 minutes.

CIDER GLAZE, APPLE CHIPS, AND CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Combine cider and 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Skim surface, removing any cider sediment that rises to the top. Reduce heat; simmer until liquid begins to thicken into a glaze, about 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Squeeze juice from lemons into a small bowl filled with cold water. Using a very sharp knife, slice the apples into rounds as thinly as possible. Place rounds in the acidulated water. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat; set sheet aside.
• Remove cider glaze from heat, and let stand until cool enough to touch. Carefully dip each apple round into the glaze, and place on the baking sheet.
• Bake the apple rounds until they turn golden and the edges have curled, about 2 hours. Transfer apples to a wire rack, and let cool until crisp. Brush with the cider glaze.
• Return cider glaze to heat. Slice ginger into 1/8-inch-thick slices crosswise, and add to cider. Cook over low heat until ginger is soft and translucent, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ginger to wire rack to cool. The liquid should have reduced to be just less than 3/4 cup.
• Return glaze to heat; whisk in remaining 3 cups confectioners' sugar. Remove from heat. To test, pour a small amount over top of cake. If glaze is too thin, let cool slightly. If it is too thick, add a little more cider. Use when desired consistency is achieved.