Rx Apples: Keeping the Doctor Away

Developing desserts is an exacting ritual, even for the best pastry chefs. Tossing in a little bit of this or that just doesn’t work; it’s a science that requires weights and measures. Since this is a season that offers time for more serious cooking, I asked three well-known Chicago pastry chefs for their best dessert recipes practical for a home cook.

We are blessed with Granny Smith apples throughout the winter, so apples are a common ingredient in all three recipes. Granny Smiths are great for dessert making; firm and tart, they keep their shape during baking.

Toni Marie Cox, executive pastry chef at the Mayfair Regent Ciel Bleu restaurant, offers a new version of the ever-popular baked apple: twice-baked with a pear filling and centered in a puff pastry shell. Elizabeth Sanchez, pastry consultant for Emilio’s, worked at another well-known Chicago restaurant, Le Perroquet, in the early ‘80s. She shares her recipe for a caramel-glazed apple chunk cake. And Kathy de Funiak, executive pastry chef at Ambria, provides the recipe for apple tartlets with a rich mahogany caramel sauce. Except for the final baking, these can be prepared in advance.

Each chef suggests serving the desserts warm. The microwave oven is great for reheating cakes and fruit desserts but not pastries, which tend to become limp. Be sure to use MEDIUM power (50%) and reheat in brief increments to prevent overheating.

This is an elegant new look for baked apples. Cox suggests serving the apples warm with creme anglaise. The apples can be baked in advance and reheated at serving time.

TONI MARIE COX’S TWICE-BAKED APPLES WITH PEAR FILLING

8 medium Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1 large Bosc pear, peeled, cored and shredded

Grated zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons whipping cream

2 large egg yolks

Dash salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 teaspoons light-brown sugar

4 teaspoons butter

Cut off 1/2-inch slice from top of apples. Core and remove enough flesh to form cavity for filling (do not cut through bottom of apple), leaving 1/2-inch rim. (Small melon baller or tomato shark works well for this). Place apples in greased shallow baking pan. Sprinkle apples evenly with 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Pour water in bottom of pan. Bake at 350 degrees until almost tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Combine shredded pear with lemon zest, whipping cream, remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, egg yolks, salt and cinnamon in bowl. Mix well.

To assemble, fill hot apples with generous tablespoon of pear mixture. Top each with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon butter. Add little more water to pan if dry.

Bake at 350 degrees until top is lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 8 baked apples.

Note: Can be made several hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat in 350-degree oven 8 minutes or in microwave oven at MEDIUM power (50%).

Each serving contains about:

198 calories; 53 mg sodium; 47 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1 gram fiber; 24% calories from fat.

Moist and full-flavored, this apple cake is one of the best I’ve tasted. Serve it warm for a late breakfast or for dessert following an informal family meal.

ELIZABETH SANCHEZ’ CARAMEL-GLAZED APPLE CHUNK CAKE

2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (3 1/4 cups)

1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze

Generously grease 12-cup capacity bundt cake pan and lightly flour.

Sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt onto sheet of wax paper. Combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Beat 3 minutes until thick and smooth. Add sifted ingredients and orange juice. Mix to combine.

Toss apples and pecans with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Stir into batter with wooden spoon. Batter will be very thick. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth surface.

Bake at 350 degrees until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let rest on cooling rack 5 minutes. Invert cake onto rack placed on sheet of foil. Brush warm cake with Glaze, reapplying Glaze as it drips onto foil. Makes 12 servings.

Note: Cake is best eaten warm. To reheat, place on baking sheet lined with foil and bake in 350-degree oven until just warm, about 8 to 10 minutes. Or alternately, place cake on microwaveable plate and reheat on MEDIUM (50% power) until just warm, about 4 minutes. Do not overheat.

Each serving contains about:

642 calories; 222 mg sodium; 81 mg cholesterol; 36 grams fat; 79 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.4 gram fiber; 50% calories from fat.

Glaze

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light-brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup whipping cream

Combine unsalted butter, brown sugar and whipping cream in saucepan. Simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

These tartlets can be set up completely in advance and frozen, which is good since they involve several steps. Just place the frozen tartlets in the oven about one-half hour before serving and gently reheat the dark caramel sauce; they can’t fail to impress.

KATHY DE FUNIAK’S APPLE TARTLETS IN DARK CARAMEL

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup flour

Dash salt

6 small Granny Smith apples, about 6 ounces each, peeled, halved and cored

Pastry Cream

5 tablespoons butter, melted

6 teaspoons sugar

Dark Caramel Sauce

Cream softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add flour and salt. Combine well. Divide dough into 2 equal parts and place in separate plastic food bags. Lightly compress dough into ball, then flatten into disc, about 1/2-inch thick. Place on plate. Refrigerate until firm.

Using 1/2 of each part dough at 1 time (keep remaining dough refrigerated) gently roll out on generously floured pastry board using floured rolling pin to attain 1/4-inch thickness. Using 4-inch-diameter pastry cutter or inverted bowl, cut dough into 3 rounds. Transfer onto greased baking sheets, leaving 1-inch space between rounds.

Cut each apple half into paper-thin slices, keeping each half in its original shape. Arrange apple slices right on board into overlapping circle, no more than 4 inches in diameter.

To assemble, place 1 generous tablespoon chilled Pastry Cream in center of pastry round, leaving 1/2-inch border. Transfer arranged apples to center of pastry. Gently brush apples with melted butter. (Can be baked immediately at this point or frozen up to 2 weeks, covered airtight once frozen.)

Sprinkle each apple with 1/2 teaspoon sugar and bake at 400 degrees until pastry is browned around edges, about 20 to 25 minutes, or about 5 to 8 minutes longer if frozen.

To serve, spread generous 2 tablespoons Dark Caramel Sauce on warm dessert plates. Center with warm tart. Serve immediately. Makes 12 (4-inch diameter) tartlets.

Each serving with Dark Caramel Sauce contains about:

569 calories; 70 mg sodium; 129 mg cholesterol; 38 grams fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; .3 gram fiber; 59% calories from fat.

Pastry Cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 large egg

1 cup warm milk

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch and egg in heavy 1-quart saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until thickened, about 4 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Add vanilla. Transfer to small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill well. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen as long as 3 months.) Makes about 1 cup.

Dark Caramel Sauce

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1 1/3 cups whipping cream

Combine 2/3 cup sugar and corn syrup in 1-quart heavy saucepan. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat until caramel-colored, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining sugar. Cook until mahogany-colored, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Slowly add whipping cream. Bring to boil and stir until smooth, about 5 minutes. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 5 days. Reheat on stovetop or in microwave oven before using.) Makes 2 cups.