Tag Archives: apples

Skillet Caramel Apple Crisp

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Yields: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
  • 1 cup whipping, heavy cream, room temperature
  • Sea salt flakes, to taste

Filling

  • 1 ¼ kg tart, firm apples, such as Ganny Smith, Jonathan or Honeycrisp (about 6 medium apples)
  • Grated zest of 1 orange
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoons good quality vanilla paste or extract
  • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ⅛teaspoon ground cloves
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Crisp Topping

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup chopped pecans
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

Method

Caramel Sauce

  1. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and water in a large saucepan set over a medium–low heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–12minutes until it becomes a deep gold colour, but not dark brown. DO NOT STIR at any point. If you need to you can gently swirl the pan to make sure the mixture is melting evenly. When the caramel begins to colour, it will darken quickly so keep a close eye on it
  2. Once it reaches the correct color, quickly, but carefully, remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter cubes and using a wooden spoon gently stir until the butter has melted and is well combined. It will bubble a little and release steam so take care not to burn yourself!
  3. Next, add the cream and again slowly stir, again taking care not to burn yourself from the rising steam
  4. Once well combined, add sea salt flakes to taste (carefully tasting as you go!) and whisk to combine. Set aside to cool completely in a hat-proof container while you prepare the rest of the crisp*

Filling

  1. Heat your oven to 350F degrees and lightly butter/ oil a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet
  2. Peel, core and slice the apples into ½-inch slices
  3. Combine the sliced apples, both zests, both juices, vanilla extract, spices and salt in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Drizzle ½ cup cooled caramel sauce over the top and stir again. Scrape the apples and all their juices into your prepared skillet

Topping

  1. In the same bowl, combine the flour, oats, pecans, sugar and salt. Stir until well combined, then add the butter and mash it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until crumbs form. Pour the crumb topping evenly over the apples
  2. Bake the crisp until the topping is golden and the juices are bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes
  3. Serve warm with more warm caramel sauce and ice cream

*Store any remaining sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. It can be rewarmed for later use in a saucepan over low heat.

Apple Cider Bundt Cake

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Makes 1

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup Red Fife flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

Coating

  • 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baobab fruit powder (optional)

Method

  1. Add the apple cider to a medium pan, and over a medium heat boil to reduce to 1/3 cup quantity. Remove from heat and allow to cool
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  3. Prepare a 12-cup bundt pan by liberally spraying with baking spray, or generously grease with butter and flour. Pay special attention to all those crevices and folds
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt
  5. In separate bowl, whisk together sugar, cooled cider concentrate , oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs
  6. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; whisk until combined, making sure there are no flour pockets
  7. Transfer batter to prepared pan, and bake for 45- 50 minutes, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean
  8. Transfer pan to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 15 minutes
  9. While the cake cools make the coating. Mix together remaining sugar, cinnamon and Baobab fruit powder
  10. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a cooling rack set over some baking parchment
  11. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle liberally with the sugar coating. Let cool completely before serving

Apple Fritters

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Makes 8

Ingredients

Apple Fritters

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons applesauce
  • 2 large Granny Smith apples or Honey Crisp apples peeled, cored and diced

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Baobab Fruit Powder (optional)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1/3 cup milk, eggs and applesauce. Stir just to combine. Fold in apples
  2. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in heavy skillet, Dutch oven or deep fryer to 375F degrees
  3. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter per fritter into hot oil; spreading it out as you drop
  4. Cook each side until golden brown; approximately 2-3 minutes per side
  5. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a cooling rack set over some paper towels to drain
  6. While the fritters cool, whisk together 1/4 cup milk, Baobab fruit powder, powdered sugar and vanilla. Dunk each fritters in the glaze to coat.  Place on wire racks to drip and air dry

Freezing & Reheating

If you’re making your fritters for later, they keep really well in the freezer compartment. Freeze for up to 2 month for best taste. You’ll need to remember not to glaze them though! Allow your unglazed fritters to cool completely before wrapping individually in cling wrap, popping in freezer bags and storing in your freezer.

The best way to thaw frozen apple fritters is to remove them from the freezer, unwrap them and place them into the fridge. It is best to leave them overnight to ensure they thaw all the way through.

If they have not thawed all the way through by the time you want to eat them, you could leave them out on the counter for up to an hour to speed up that process. 

To reheat, and to ensure you get a nice crisp apple fritter, you can either use a toaster oven or a conventional oven. Place the thawed fritters on a baking tray and reheat them at 375F for 5 minutes.

Once they’re reheated you can glaze them as Step 2 above.

Air Fryer Apple Pies

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Makes 8

Ingredients

  • 3 cups peeled apples, diced
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 and 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 8 egg roll wrappers
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoon sugar

Method

  1. Preheat air fryer to 400°.
  2. In a small bowl, combine apples, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and cornstarch and mix well
  3. With a corner of an egg roll wrapper facing you, spread 1 scant tablespoon cream cheese to within 1 in. of edges.
  4. Place 2-3 tablespoons apple mixture just below center of wrapper
  5. Fold bottom corner over filling; moisten remaining wrapper edges with water. Fold side corners toward center over filling. Roll egg roll up tightly, pressing at tip to seal. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers
  6. In batches, arrange egg rolls in a single layer on greased tray in air-fryer basket; spritz with cooking spray (I usally do mine in 2 batches of 4)
  7. Cook until golden brown, 5 minutes. Turn; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown and crisp, usually another 5 minutes.
  8. On a separate plate, combine sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon; roll hot egg rolls in mixture to coat (using a tongs help!)
  9. Serve and enjoy! (Leave to rest for about 5 minutes as the internal filling can be quite hot!)

*If you’re upscaling this recipe for more than 8 apple pies, I’ve found it best to make and cook 8 at a time. Any more and you risk letting the ones sit uncooked becoming soggy

**Cooked apple pies can be quickly reheated in your air-fryer preheated at 350F for 3 minutes

    #Recipe: Alternative #BonfireNight Toffee Apples

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    As a child I loved Toffee Apples. That sweet, sticky “crack” sound giving way to the tart crispness of a ripe apple. They were alway saved as a treat on a seaside trip. As such it’s one of my most vivid memories of childhood- the tickle of juice running down my chin as seawater wafted on the air, and overhead gulls wheeled and cried. Upon moving here to the UK I became aware that toffee apples were a treat for an altogether different occasion. They were a long-standing part and parcel of November 5th’s Guy Fawkes Bonfire celebrations along with parkin; treacle toffee and sparklers.

    Never being one to settle for the “norm” I decided to do a twist on the familiar idea of the  “Toffee Apple”. It also provided me with a rather nice opportunity to try out some of Joe & Seph’s rather wonderful new caramel sauces. And so I present my take on bonfire toffee apples.

    2015-11-05 18.03.46

    Alternative Toffee Apples

    Makes 6

    Ingredients

    6 Granny Smiths apples, cored

    50g jumbo oats

    25g chopped dates

    25g dried pear, chopped

    20g ground almonds

    20g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

    3 heaped tablespoons Joe & Seph’s Salted Caramel sauce

    To finish

    Joe & Seph’s Salted Caramel sauce

    2015-11-05 18.04.43

    Method

    • Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
    • Score the apples with a knife halfway up and fully around. Be carefull not to slice them the full way through.
    • In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients until fully combined.
    • Stuff the apple cavities with the oat mixture until full. You can use a spoon but the easiest way I’ve found is just using (clean) hands. Messiest…but easiest.
    • Place the stuffed apples into an oven proof dish and place in your preheated oven, on a rack in the middle.
    • Bake for 35-40 mins depending on your apple texture preference. I prefer mine to be just the “soft-side of solid” (if that makes any sens?) so I bake for 35 mins. If you prefer them softer bake for a little longer. Be careful however as you don’t really want them to be “mushy”.
    • Once baked, remove from oven and place individually on serving plates, and pour over some more Joe & Seph’s Salted Caramel sauce. Again the amount depends on taste. You may like a little- I prefer a LOT!
    • Serve the covered “toffee apples” with vanilla ice cream or I also like to have a dollop of Greek yogurt to the side.

    Enjoy!

    If you’re looking for another alternative Bonfire Night treat then why not try my take on treacle toffee – Fennel Seed & Black Garlic Toffee?