Apple Napoleons with Dulce de Leche

This past week's Top Chef challenge was to come up with "New American" cuisine to be served at Tom Colicchio's Craft restaurant in NYC. There seemed to be some confusion as to just what New American may mean, but my personal feeling is that New American is more fusion than anything else.

America has become such a melting pot (wasn't it always, though?) and expressing that through food really shouldn't be so complicated. I admit to patting myself on the back when Rhadika's dessert wontons were well-received, because I had just done similar a few weeks ago at Family.com, sans the mousse. While Carla's apple dessert was obviously well-liked, I can't help but think I'd have done it differently.

What would I have done? Well, I think the French Napoleon crossed with the classic American apple pie and a Mexican dulce de leche would be about perfect - and I have to say, they were!

Apple Napoleons with Dulce de Leche
Makes 6 pastries

2 sheets puff pastry cut into 3 inch squares - 18 total
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large apples peeled, cored and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dulce de leche
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Bake pastry squares according to package directions until golden brown. Set aside.
Melt butter in a skillet and add apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook until apples are soft and lightly caramelized - about 10 minutes. Heat dulce de leche and keep warm. Add powdered sugar to cream and beat until stiff peaks form.

Lay out 6 pastry squares and top each with whipped cream, apples and dulce de leche. Repeat a second layer for each. Top each with a pastry square, whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Gourmet Dipped Apples

Have you seen these? They are offered on every upscale gourmet website and in every posh overpriced catalog imaginable. The average price for these beauties is $10 each. I am of the, "Why buy it when you can make it?" camp and I can imagine that my Scottish ancestors would rise up and haunt me if I actually paid for one.

I knew I could do it, and so I did - and I only paid $2.50 for each one. If I don't go into business for myself, I think these would make lovely gifts this Christmas, and I may just give a few away.

I've made them with homemade caramel and wrapped caramels and covered in nuts or sprinkles. I even made a design with nut halves and dragees on one. I think they're pretty no matter how you make them and they disappear so quickly there's no doubt about how delicious they are.





Caramel and Chocolate Dipped Apples
Makes 2

2 very large Fuji or Granny Smith (I prefer these) apples - washed, dried and at room temperature
1/2 pound dark chocolate coating
1/2 cup finely chopped unsalted nuts or small candy sprinkles

Caramel:

1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup dark brown sugar

OR

40 wrapped caramels melted smooth in the microwave

Mix all three together well in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Clip on a candy thermometer and cook over low heat, stirring very often, until the temperature reaches the 'soft ball' stage - or 235 degrees F. Remove from heat and stir continuously for several minutes until the caramel beings to cool and thicken.

Dip each apple - using the stem - into the caramel as far as it will go. Use a spoon to cover the top half of the apple, making sure it is well coated and there are no bare spots. Set on parchment or waxed paper to cool. Dip other apple likewise.

When they caramel is set, it's time to dip in chocolate.

Melt dark chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. When fully melted, dip each apple the same way they were dipped for the caramel, coating all sides well.

As soon as they are dipped, roll to coat in 1/2 cup chopped nuts or sprinkles. Let stand in a cold spot until well set. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat and consume within one week of dipping.

What's in the Bag?

That's a big bag.




That's a LOT of apples!





One of the perfect pies that were made.


Anne's Apple Pie
Not Mom's, but still good.

1 recipe double crust pie dough
5-6 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Mix together:

1/2 c sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (I really prefer freshly grated)

1-2 Tablespoons flour

Place bottom pie crust into a 9" pie pan and sprinkle evenly with the flour. Put half of the apples in the pan and sprinkle with half of the sugar and spice mixture. Top with remaining apples and sugar. Top with crust, crimp edges and vent-I like to use a small star shaped cookie cutter and then replace the cut out dough offset slightly on top of the opening

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes until apples are soft and crust is golden brown.

Double Crust Pie Dough

3 c flour
1 c shortening
salt-I use about 1/2 teaspoon
6-7 Tablespoons ice water
Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse meal or small peas. Add water a tablespoon at a time until dough forms well. Let stand 10 minutes under an overturned bowl before rolling to desired thickness.

Veggie Wednesday: The Forbidden Fruit

Apple season is one of my favorites and this is one of my favorite recipes to go with it, Nana's Apple Cake.

A bowl filled with the promise of good things to come.

Sliced apples in a 9x13 baking pan.

Butter cubed to help it soften quicker.

Sugar added.

Sugar and butter creamed together and eggs added to the mix.

Flour and baking powder tossed in.

A soft dough. Take note of the old silver fork - that's a must for mixing! Well, maybe not a must, but it works for me.

Sugar with freshly ground nutmeg (the only way I use it) and cinnamon.

Apples sprinkled with the cinnamon-nutmeg sugar.

Spoons of dough tops the apples.

Play 'connect-the-dots' and spread them over the apples. Even if it doesn't look like it will cover them all, or there are holes, don't you worry - it will bake together and be perfect. Top with more cinnamon-nutmeg sugar and...


Surprise! The final result and full recipe are at Short Order Mom.

Taffy Apple Cheesecake Pie

This was a winning recipe in the Pillsbury 36th Annual Bake-Off of 1994 made by Mary Ann Sasso of Franklin Park, Illinois. I made it way back then and several times since. I don't do it too often because it is rather time-consuming for a pie and there are a lot of ingredients. I wanted to post it anyway with photos so that maybe someone else will see it as not-too-difficult and give it a try.

Lots of ingredients in line. Why, yes - that IS frozen whipped topping from Aldi - thankouverymuch. Love it, won't apologize for it.

Melting butter.

Melting butter AND brown sugar - my kind of multi-tasking.

Melted and ready for ...

... sliced apples.

Apples cooked until tender and slightly caramelized.

Half and half. Yes, you need to use an old pitted heavy aluminum pan for this.

Twenty-one unwrapped caramels, melting nicely with the half and half.

Cream cheese and more brown sugar.

Cream cheese and more brown sugar mixed! Look at that.

Half of the caramel mixture added to the cream cheese mixture.

Half of the caramel mixture added to the apples.

Pecans and chocolate chips. I know the recipe calls for 'finely chopped chocolate chips', but to me that's like trying to stab a Super-ball without holding it down.

Apples in the pie crust.

Topped with chocolate chips and pecans.

Topped with cream cheese mixture before sending off to the oven.

Whipped topping and pumpkin pie spice.

Mixed.

Pie fresh out of the oven.

'Decorated'.

My pie somehow doesn't look like the one in the book. Oh well, it was good no matter how it looked!

Taffy-Apple Cheesecake Pie

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 tablespoons butter, or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar, light, firmly packed
4 medium apples, cored, thinly sliced, about 5 cups
21 caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup cream, half and half
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, light, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg

Crust
Single pie crust


Topping:
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, finely chopped
3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

Garnish:
8 ounces whipped topping
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


Directions:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar stirring constantly.

Add apples; cook and stir 12 to 15 minutes or until apples are
caramel in color and tender.

Set aside.

Drain if necessary.

In top of double boiler or in medium heavy saucepan over low
heat, melt caramels with half-and-half until mixture is smooth,
stirring frequently.

Keep warm.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup brown sugar
until light and fluffy.

Add 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and egg; beat
until blended.

Prepare pie crust according to package directions for one-
crust filled pie using 10-inch deep dish pie pan or 9-inch
springform pan (refrigerate remaining crust for a later use).

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fold half of caramel mixture into cream cheese mixture.

Add apple mixture to remaining caramel mixture; mix well.

Spoon apple caramel mixture into crust-lined pan.

In small bowl, combine topping ingredients; reserve 2
tablespoons mixture.

Sprinkle remaining mixture over apple mixture.

Top with caramel cream cheese mixture, Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes or until deep golden brown and filling is set.

Cool completely.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or until cold.

Fold 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into whipped topping.

Pipe or spoon mixture onto pie; sprinkle with reserved 2
tablespoons topping.

Store in refrigerator.

Tip: to prepare caramel filling in microwave, in small microwave
-safe bowl, combine caramels and half-and-half.

Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 minute stirring once halfway
through cooking.

Stir until smooth.

Apple, Pear and Almond Crostata

Crostata is yet another food that has many, many versions. The traditional "home" made crostata is simply pie dough topped with jam and sometimes a lattice of dough. Other versions, like this one, are made with whole fruit like apples or berries. Some use almond paste as a base under the fruit. I made this last evening to go with on of our favorite dinners of pasta with marinara and meatballs and my own cheese bread. Delicious!

Apple, Pear and Almond Crostata

Dough:
1 cup flour
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt
1 stick butter - diced
2 - 3 T ice water

Stir flour, sugar and salt together well. Add butter and rub together until crumbly. Add water 1 T at a time until dough forms a firm ball. Flatten and chill between waxed paper while prepping fruit.

Filling ingredients

Filling:

2 medium apples
2 medium pears
1/2 c sliced almonds
1/4 c sugar
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t ground cinnamon

Peel and seed fruits-cut into small dice. Toss with sugar and spices.

Roll out dough between waxed paper to roughly a 12 - 14" round. Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet. Top the center of the dough with fruit and sugar and toss almonds over the top, leaving a one and a half inch edge. Fold edge over, making a rustic looking tart.



Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and fruit is tender. Top with confectioner's sugar or chocolate sauce.

The delicious finished product!

Veggie Wednesday

Veggies and fruit in one of my favorite combinations.

Classic Waldorf Salad

Created at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1896 by the maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky.

1 cup apples chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Sprinkle chopped apples with lemon juice.
Add all other ingredients.
Toss to coat all pieces with mayonnaise.

Serves 4 as a side.