Spiced Apple Wedges With Caramel Sauce And Vanilla Ice Cream Food

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE GALETTE

Steps:

• Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: Make this before you start everything else, so it has time to chill and set up a bit. It takes just 10 minutes! Find the recipe HERE. This can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the fridge in a jar.
• Make the Crust: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut the butter into large chunks and add to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or clean hands to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have chunks the size of blueberries (some will be a bit bigger, and some a bit smaller). Drizzle in the water and add the sour cream. Toss with a fork until the dough is moistened and the sour cream is mixed in. Gently gather the dough into a ball. If the dough holds when you push it together, it's ready. If it's a bit dry and crumbles apart, add a bit more water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. You can also flick some water onto any dry bits hiding in the bottom of the bowl. Gently flatten the ball of dough a bit, into a 1-inch thick disc. It will be a little scrappy looking but should hold together. Wrap the disc tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for at leas 1 hour or in the fridge for at least 2 hours. If you freeze the dough for 1 hour, and your filling isn't ready yet, move the dough to the fridge so it doesn't freeze solid. Make-Ahead Tip: Dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for 2-3 days before using, or frozen for up to two months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before using, if you froze it. Find More Troubleshooting Tips for Pie Crust in my "How to Make Perfect Pie Crust" Post.
• Make the Apple Filling: Start the filling once the dough has chilled, or while it's close to being ready. If you're making the filling the same day that you made the crust, you can use the same bowl. Just give it a quick wipe first! Peel and slice your apples 1/4" thick. You'll have about 4 cups of slices. Stir together the apple slices and the rest of the filling ingredients. If the dough still has a few minutes of chill time left, you can cover the bowl of apple filling with a kitchen towel and pop it in the fridge while you wait and while you roll out the dough.
• Roll out the Dough and Assemble the Galette: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Flour your countertop and rolling pin. Unwrap the dough and sprinkle lightly with flour. Begin rolling out the dough gently, turning continuously so it doesn't stick to the counter. Sprinkle more flour under the dough as needed. Be a little patient here - we're not trying to stretch the dough all the way out in a few passes. Once the dough is about 12 to 14 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick, gently roll it up onto the rolling pin and transfer it onto the prepared baking sheet. Evenly spread the apple filling onto the dough, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border around the edges. You can fan the apple slices out in circles or you can let them fall where they fall. Just try to keep them in an even layer throughout. Drizzle the little bit of liquid left in the bottom of the bowl over the apple slices. Fold up the edges of the dough, working in small sections, to cover edges of the apples. Galettes are rustic - don't fuss over this too much. Chill the assembled galette, uncovered, in the fridge for 15 minutes to re-chill before baking (don't skip this step). Beat the egg in an already used measuring cup. Once the galette has chilled, brush the egg wash over the edges of the crust. Sprinkle coarse or raw sugar on these areas.
• Bake: Bake for 38 to 40 minutes. The crust will be golden brown and should feel crisp if you tap it with your fingertip. You can also prick the apples with a fork to ensure they're tender.
• Serve + Store: Brush the apple slices in the galette with a little of the Salted Caramel Sauce when it comes out of the oven. If the caramel has been in the fridge for awhile, you'll need to microwave it for 30 sec to 1 minute to loosen it up, so you can brush it on. Let it rest about 10 minutes before slicing + serving. Drizzle slices with more salted caramel sauce, and serve with vanilla ice cream. This is best while it's fresh from the oven, but you can keep leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

APPLE CRUMBLE WITH CARDAMOM-VANILLA CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the Apple Filling:
• In a small bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and set aside.
• To make the Crumble Topping:
• In another small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, oats, and salt with a fork until uniform. In a baking dish, melt the butter in the microwave until about half melts, 10 to 15 seconds on high. Pour the butter into the flour mixture and incorporate with a fork. Leaving the excess butter in the baking dish, arrange the apple slices in the dish. Top with the flour-oat mixture. Bake until the apples are cooked through and the topping is golden, about 45 minutes.
• To make the Vanilla-Cardamom Caramel Sauce:
• In a medium-heavy saucepan, mix the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to boil, without stirring. Cook's Note: Swirl the pan, if needed. Boil until the sugar mixture is pale golden brown, approximately 7 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat, and stirring vigorously add the butter and cream. The mixture will bubble. Add the cardamom seeds and stir to incorporate. Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat and allow to cool a few minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and strain the sauce before drizzling over the cobbler.

APPLE PIE WEDGES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and apple butter. Add flour, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and vanilla. Beat at low speed until well blended.
• Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 6-inch disc on waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Invert one disc of dough into ungreased 9-inch round pie plate. Press dough into plate with lightly floured hands, covering plate completely. Flute edges using the handle of a wooden spoon. Deeply score into 8 wedges. Prick surface using tines of fork. Repeat steps with remaining disc of dough and another pie plate.
• Bake 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely and cut into wedges.

APPLE CROSTATA WITH SPICED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Blend together flour, sugar, salt, zest, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg and vanilla in a small bowl and drizzle over flour mixture, then gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated and dough begins to form large clumps.
• Gather all dough together, then divide dough in half and form each half into a 5- to 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until more firm, but not hard, about 30 minutes.
• Make filling while dough chills:
• Melt butter in a heavy, wide 6- to 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and apples, and cook, uncovered, stirring and turning apples over occasionally, until apples soften and juices thicken and begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes (lower heat if apple mixture browns too quickly). Transfer to a shallow bowl and chill until cooled.
• Assemble crostata:
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide crostata off bottom), then lock pan. Generously butter springform pan and chill or freeze briefly to firm up butter.
• Press one disk of dough evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan (use the smooth bottom of a metal measuring cup to help make it even). Chill tart shell.
• Roll out remaining disk of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 10-inch round (dough will be very tender). Peel off top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (3/4-inch-wide) strips and slide (still on paper) onto a baking sheet. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes in refrigerator or 5 minutes in freezer.
• Spoon apple filling in shell, distributing slices evenly. Arrange 5 strips of dough parallel to each other, 1 inch apart, on filling, trimming edges flush with edge of pan (dough will tear easily; patch any breaks with fingers). Arrange remaining 5 strips diagonally across first strips, 1 inch apart, to form a lattice, and trim edges.
• Gather remaining dough and roll into several long, 1/4-inch-thick ropes. Press enough ropes around edge of crostata in a single layer, smoothing seams with fingers, to form an even edge (you will have a little dough left over).
• Bake crostata until pastry is pale golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Near end of baking, heat apricot preserves with 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until melted, then strain through a sieve into a small bowl.
• When crostata is done, brush top with warm apricot glaze. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, then remove side of pan.
• Make caramel sauce while crostata bakes:
• Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer, then remove from heat and keep hot, covered.
• Stir sugars together with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice in a heavy 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan, then cook undisturbed over medium heat until mixture is partially melted (reduce heat if mixture turns dark around edge). Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until completely melted and mixture is a deep golden caramel.
• Carefully pour in hot cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel may harden slightly) and quickly whisk in pumpkin pie spice and salt. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until melted. Transfer to a glass measure to let cool slightly.
• To serve, either slide crostata from pan bottom onto a flat serving plate or serve on pan bottom.

WARM APPLES AND ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Peel and quarter the apples. Core each quarter. Slice the apples up. Add butter to the skillet, then apples. Saute 7 or 8 minutes, add sugar, cinnamon and cloves and cook 2 minutes more. Spoon the sauteed apples into dessert dishes and top with ice cream, whipped cream, and garnish with grated nutmeg.

APPLE CRUMBLE WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the grill to medium.
• Place apples in a medium bowl and toss with the oil. Place the apples on the grill, cut-side down and grill until nicely browned. Flip the apples over and continue to grill until nicely browned on skin side. Remove from the grill and allow to cool briefly.
• Once they are cool enough to handle, core and cut the apples into wedges. Place the apple wedges into a bowl and toss with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 4 tablespoons light brown sugar and 1/2 stick melted butter.
• In another bowl, toss together the remaining melted butter, cinnamon, light brown sugar and the granola.
• Place 1 large scoop of ice cream into 4 bowls and top with the apple mixture. Sprinkle the granola mixture over the top of the apple and drizzle with some of the caramel sauce, if using.

SPICED APPLE WEDGES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE AND VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Finely grind first 4 ingredients in spice mill or small coffee grinder. Place apples in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle spices over apples. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cider and butter. Gently stir to coat apples.
• Bake apples until tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Using slotted spoon, transfer apples to ovenproof bowl and set in oven.
• Scrape all juices from baking dish into medium saucepan. Mix in cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cider. Boil until caramel sauce deepens in color and is reduced to 1/2 cup, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Serve apples with ice cream and sauce.

BAKED APPLE WEDGES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar over a baking sheet. Combine oats, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and spices in the work bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Add half the almonds and process until finely chopped. Add remaining almonds; process until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
• Peel apples and cut into quarters. Cut out cores. Dip apples into egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Coat well with the oatmeal-nut mixture and transfer to prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until soft. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. Garnish with mint leaves.