There are few fruits that can warm up a chilly autumn day better than a baked apple. This week, we're sharing a grown-up version of this comfort food by serving the baked apples with sabayon, a light, airy sauce flavored with apple cider. If you wanted to make the sabayon even more flavorful, try adding a tablespoon of Calvados, a French apple brandy, to the mixture.
Crisp apples are best for this baked dessert because they won't break down while cooking in the oven. For this recipe, we've used Granny Smith apples, but you can use other varieties such as Liberty, Mutsu or Cortland. Another great apple to use for this recipe is the Del Corral, a special variety grown at Breezy Hill Orchard in Clinton Corners, New York. (If using smaller apples, decrease the baking time from approximately 50 minutes to between 20 and 30 minutes.)
We used a cast-iron skillet to bake the apples, but any heavy-duty nonstick pan with a heat-proof handle will work. The apple-cider sabayon recipe can also be used separately from this recipe for other desserts; try serving it slightly warm over poached fruit, a slice of cake or a scoop of your favorite ice cream.
Baked Apples with Cider Sabayon Recipe
Makes 6 Servings
Ingredients:
- 12 firm, crisp medium apples, such as Granny Smith, cored from the bottom using a melon baller
- 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- Zest of 1 orange, thinly sliced
- Zest of 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Cider Sabayon (recipe follows)
Directions:
- Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the cored apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, maple syrup, orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla bean, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a medium mixing bowl. Toss the mixture well to coat the apples with the syrup and spices.
- Melt the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (or a heavy-duty nonstick pan with a heat-proof handle) over medium-high heat just until the sugar caramelizes, about 5 minutes. If the sugar begins to brown unevenly, stir it occasionally with a spoon. Add the butter; stir until melted.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully place the apples in the skillet, and pour the remainder of the ingredients from the mixing bowl over the apples. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning the apples occasionally, until they begin to caramelize and the syrup mixture in the pan begins to thicken slightly. Arrange the apples so that the stem sides are up. Transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the apples are just soft but not collapsing. (If using small apples, decrease the baking time from approximately 50 minutes to between 25 and 30 minutes.)
- Place about two apples on each plate, top with a small amount of the caramel mixture and lemon and orange zest. Serve immediately with a dollop of the cider sabayon.
Cider Sabayon Recipe
Makes 6 Servings (about 3 1/2 Cups)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 cup sparkling apple cider
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (1 cup whipped)
Directions:
- Fill a medium stockpot a third of the way full with water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and allow the water to simmer. Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a large heat-proof bowl until the mixture is pale in color and has a thick consistency, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the apple cider, and beat for 3 more minutes. (For best results, select a heat-proof bowl that just fits inside the rim of the pot.)
- Set the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk the egg-yolk mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sabayon thickens and is fluffy and somewhat stiff. The sabayon should begin to turn satiny in appearance and begin sticking to the bowl slightly. Air bubbles in the mixture will become small instead of large and loose.
- Set the bowl in the ice-water bath. Continue whisking the sabayon until the mixture is cool to the touch, about 5 minutes. Whip the cream to medium-stiff peaks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and fold the whipped cream into the sabayon. Store the sabayon in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before serving.
SOURCES
Apples
828 Centre Road
Staatsburg, NY 12580
845-266-5967
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