Ever Ready: Caramel Apple Strudel and a Caramel Ice Cream Dessert

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Caramel Apple Strudel and a Caramel Ice Cream Dessert

Nothing says Fall better than the taste of caramel and apples together. Here are two ideas that combine both flavors.
Caramel Apple Strudel

Cook's notes: This recipe is as easy as making an apple pie. It is adapted from Taste of Home September/October 2014 and recipe serves 6-8
Cooking tip: To avoid a soggy crust place apple mixture in colander to drain off some of the juices before spreading mixture on the pastry crust.

Ingredients

5 medium apples, peeled and chopped (5 cups)

3/4 cup apple juice or cider

1/4 cup sugar

1 TB.. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1 large egg

1 TB. water

1 TB. coarse sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally. Cool completely and drain off excess juices.
Unfold puff pastry onto a large sheet of parchment paper; roll into a 16x12-in. rectangle. Transfer paper and pastry to a baking sheet, placing a short side of the rectangle facing you. Using a slotted spoon to drain the juices, arrange apples on bottom half of pastry to within 1 in. of edges. Drizzle apples with caramel topping. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the bottom side. Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under.
In a small bowl, whisk egg with water; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut slits in top. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Apple Caramel Ice-Cream Delight

Cook's notes: A leftover bag of toasted coconut and pecans from the Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies recipe posted November 8th was the perfect topping over the caramel sauce.
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2014/11/oatmeal-butterscotch-cookies.html
This dessert was easy to put together.

Ingredients:

French Vanilla ice cream
Salted Caramel Sauce
Chopped apples
Toasted pecans and coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix equal parts of chopped pecans and flaked coconut. Spread mixture out evenly on the sheet.
Bake until coconut is browned and pecans toasted about 5 minutes but stir mixture several times while toasting.
Transfer to a large dinner plate and cool.
In a dish place a scoop of ice cream with chopped apples. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with toasted pecans and coconut.