Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Apple Ice Cream with Toasted Nuts and Caramel Sauce

Caramel apples are as classic as fall treats get, and caramel anything always gets my attention. However, biting into a big, gooey, caramel-coated apple can be a little messy, although that doesn’t stop me. Here, the same flavors were brought together in the form of an ice cream sundae eaten neatly with a spoon. The ice cream is packed full of tart, apple flavor with just a hint of an edge from the added cognac, and the caramel topping with pecans makes it a frozen caramel apple delight. This is from My Favorite Ingredients, a book I can’t seem to put down for long. The ice cream is very appley and not too decadent as it’s made with five pureed apples, a little cream, and no eggs. Of course, the caramel ups the decadence quotient, but I think caramel is always worth it in that regard.

The size or weight of the apples wasn’t specified, but I used three smaller, local apples and two larger fujis from the grocery store. They were peeled, cored, chopped and pureed in a blender with lemon juice, cognac, and some sugar. Once smooth, two-thirds of a cup of cream was added and blended into the mixture. That went into my ice cream maker to churn. The caramel sauce was made with sugar and water which was cooked in a saucepan until it reached a nice, amber color. Cream was added which makes it spatter violently, and then it was cooked while stirring until smooth. A little sea salt was added directly to the sauce. Toasted, chopped pecans garnished the sundaes, and I can never resist adding a few flakes of sea salt on top of caramel.

This dessert took Kurt by surprise. After his first bite, he proclaimed it to be very good. Then, he further commented on how nicely pronounced the appleness was in the ice cream. The fresh apple flavor really came through even with the caramel sauce on top, and those two things together, in a messy treat or a tidy one, are just meant to be.



37 comments:

  1. OMG, that is definitely and ice cream for me! Terrific. that combo is irresistible.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. Lisa this is the perfect fall dessert for those of us getting up in the nineties today! Cool and creamy and fall like but still refreshing. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Apple icecream... now that sounds totally delicious to me... Not to mention the caramel! Yum indeed!

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  4. Oh man... that looks good! How perfect for the season. This reminds me of Alice Medrich's banana ice cream- almost all fruit with just a bit of cream. You can really taste the fruit when it isn't covered up by fat and eggs. I had to adjust to the icier consistency but the taste made up for it.

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  5. Oh wow, that looks positively sinful. I have got to bust out my ice cream maker now LOL.
    *kisses* HH

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  6. Apple, pecan, caramel ... There's NO way this flavor combination wouldn't work.

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  7. A caramel apple in ice cream form is just about the best thing I've seen/read in a long while! But it makes me bitterly regret having to leave my ice cream maker behind (different voltage requirements in the Philippines). On the bright side, it gives me the perfect excuse to buy a new one there! 8-D

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  8. I love the sound of an apple ice cream! This is the first one I've seen. The caramel topping is genius! I would do anything to have it sitting in front of me right now!

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  9. This is the first I've heard of apple ice-cream Lisa, and you have me amazed! Caramel sauce=nirvana!Bookmarked!

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  10. It is getting cold but I will still eat your ice-cream :)

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  11. This is truly unique and mouth watering ice cream, I am impress !

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  12. I was just discussing fall ice cream flavors with a friend. I want to try cider sorbet, but I'm loving this apple ice cream!

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  13. Yum! An apple ice cream sounds so good and just wonderful with the caramel sauce!

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  14. Lisa, Lisa, LISA! This looks so good. It's really the ice cream that just screams yummy, but that caramel would be the kicker.

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  15. apple ice cream with caramel sauce, yum!!! such a beautiful fall dessert!

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  16. Dessert for breakfast? yes please!!

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  17. What a perfect Fall ice cream and your photos are just stunning!! I'm a caramel girl all the way, just douse any ice cream I eat with it. This is absolute perfection, Lisa!

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  18. Gorgeous combo Lisa! It's so cold now, but I still want to have this!

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  19. These pictures are wonderful. Love the ice cream recipe too!

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  20. I don't think I've ever had apple ice cream. I wonder why more places don't make it? Very strange. The closest was a green apple sorbet that was astounding. Yours looks like pure heaven. Even better than apple pie, and that's saying something. ;)

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  21. Oh my, you've found my weakness Lisa. Apple deserts with caramel! *drools incontrollably*

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  22. Oohhh....a caramel apple on steroids....sounds right up my alley! This is next on my ice cream list.- S

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  23. this looks beautiful!! i love the combination of caramel and apples.. and in ice cream would be a sure treat! thank you for sharing this.

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  24. what are you thinking? this one is heaven, so inviting. Love the combo, caramel+apple+ice cream= dangerously YUM=)

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  25. Oooohhh... this looks really, really yummy!

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  26. What a fabulous way to change up caramel apples. It looks amazing!

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  27. Oh wow, Lisa, this looks amazing! Mouthwatering! I can just picture the flavors! Great job!

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  28. Wow, this just sounds like it takes all the wonderful flavors of fall and packages them in the perfect dessert. What an amazing treat.

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  29. i do believe that this is the first batch of apple ice cream i've ever seen. round of applause for you, lisa--it's brilliant!

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  30. How perfect! I love the apple and caramel combo but just can't eat them - they kill my teeth. This is a much better idea.

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  31. apples, caramel and walnuts look like a really wicked combination. Would love to have a taste of it :)

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  32. This is my kind of sundae - so perfect for fall too!

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  33. Brilliant. I just love this. I'd never bite into a caramel apple, but I believe I'd go for seconds (thirds? fourths?) of this.

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  34. I made caramel apple ice cream for a party. People were blown away. I had crumble apple bars on the side. Heaven. thank you for this fabulous recipe.

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  35. Apple ice cream is something I would have never thought of. Now that is one awesome dessert for the fall with all these apples rolling down the shelves.

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  36. Ahh wow. This is a mix up of my favorite flavors and textures all in one. YUM :)

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