The Epicurean Table - www.epicureantable.com

dessert - stuffed baked apple

t=teaspoon T=tablespoon

These recipes are for your personal use only and may not be added in any form to archives or other works.

Flambéed Caramelized Apple with Ginger and Honey,
As a small sweet 'detail' and finale to your meal, this easy and impressive dessert has a little sweet nip to it! After flambéing, pass around your favourite dessert biscuits or small madeleines (small feather light sponge cakes).

serves 4

3 firm cooking apples

1 walnut sized knob of fresh ginger

2 T. butter

1 T. brown sugar

2 T. strong honey such as chestnut or rosemary honey

100 ml. or more apple juice

1/4 t. vanilla extract

2 T. candied ginger

juice of 1 lemon plus 2 t. for the sauce

water

Calvados (apple Schnaps) to flambé (a nice Cognac will also do)

In a bowl large enough to hold the apples, fill halfway with water and add the lemon juice. Grate the ginger and set aside (discard any fibre). Finely chop the candied ginger and set aside. If you have the patience and a sharp knife, finely shave the candied ginger.

Use an apple corer to core the apples and peel one at a time. Immediately submerge in the lemon water before continuing with the next apple (prevents oxidation).

In a wide pan, melt the butter. In the meantime, take each apple out of the water at a time and cut into eighths. When the butter is foamy, lay the apple wedges in. Turn up the heat to med. high and allow to brown lightly on each side (use two spatulas to gently turn). They should be soft but still a little al dente.

Lift out carefully and keep warm in the oven. In the same pan, sprinkle over the brown sugar, the apple juice, the lemon juice and the grated ginger. Stir well and allow to reduce somewhat over medium heat. Add the vanilla and stir.

Add the apples back in the pan, turn up heat so that all bubbles and turn the slices once. Allow to bubble a few minutes and reduce a little. Serve on warmed plates, six wedges per serving. Garnish with the remaining sauce and the candied ginger.

Instead of lemon juice in the sauce, a small splash of good balsamico vinegar is very nice.

To flambé: Not tricky at all, but you must be careful. Use a small long handled pan and WARM a good amount of Calvados - enough to pour over a little onto each dessert. Ignite the warmed Schaps with a long handled lighter (or just be quick about it and use a match). Gently pour over a little of the flaming Calvados and enjoy the ooo's and ahhh's! Don't forget to turn the lights out to allow the little Show to come to full effect!

Tip: Practice this first a few times in the kitchen over the sink until your timing is right and you feel more at ease. Cold high percentage alcohol will not ignite, it needs to be warmed. However, if it gets too hot, the escaping hot fumes may ignite the pan on its own - especially if you cook with gas, as I do. Accidents happen when the lit Schnaps is poured too quickly by the nervous cook or the Schnaps has been overheated.

All recipes are excerpts from "Welcome to My Kitchen" - The Epicurean Table and are copyright of the author. Recipes are not to be

added to any form of archive or other works of any kind. Contact the author for further information.