Sweet Stuffed Apples with Feta Cheese
A tender stuffed apple filled with sweets and light cheese is a great finish to a hearty meal. Enjoy these apples with a caramel sauce for a richer dessert.
Ingredients
2 fuji apples
2 ounces feta cheese
1 tablespoon sucanat
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh juiced ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove core from apples with pairing knife, being careful not to cut through the bottom. Apples should look like bowls with quarter sized holes.
With a peeler, peel a circle of skin around the holes of the apples.
Combine cheese, sucanat, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, maple syrup and almonds, mixing until combined. Stuff this mixture into the holes of apples.
Take melted butter and brush it around the outside of apples until thoroughly but lightly covered. Place apples into oven.
Bake apples until tender and set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Skin should look wrinkled and be soft to the touch.
Remove from oven, let cool slightly and serve sliced in half.
Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Copyright 2010, Brittany Rigas, Original Recipe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kahlua Caramel Sauce
This caramel sauce is delicious when poured over ice cream, brownies or fresh seasonal fruit. Feel free to replace Kahlua with any other type of dessert liqueur.
Ingredients
4 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces sucanat, finely ground
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Kahlua, or other liqueur
Directions
Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in sucanat until completely dissolved.
Turn the heat up to medium-low and stir occasionally until the mixture turns a darker brown color and gets thick like taffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
After the sugar and butter begin to act like taffy, remove from heat and slowly add the heavy cream.
Add the Kahlua and mix until incorporated. Serve warm.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Adapted by Brittany Rigas, from Recipes-Recipes.net, 2003.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caramelized Apple Chocolate Truffles
This chocolate truffle is explosive in flavor and its soft texture will melt in your mouth. Serve with fresh fruit slices.
Ingredients
1/4 cup coconut, shredded
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 of a fuji apple, minced
1 teaspoon sucanat, ground finely
Pinch of cinnamon
8 ounces semisweet dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
For Filling
Toast coconut on a small dry skillet at medium heat until lightly browned. Set aside.
Put 1 teaspoon of butter in same skillet and place minced apple inside. Sprinkle apple with sucanat and cinnamon and cook until apple is browned and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and mix with toasted coconut. Set mixture aside again.
Place 4 ounces of chocolate chips and remaining butter in a large bowl over a medium pot filled half way with water. Turn the heat up to medium-high and let chocolate-butter mixture melt partially, stirring occasionally.
In a small saucepan over low heat, bring cream to a simmer. Remove cream from heat and slowly pour half of it into the chocolate-butter mixture as it is melting in the bowl. Remove the chocolate, butter and cream mixture from heat and whisk until all ingredients are fully incorporated and smooth. Gradually add the remaining cream and stir until the ganache is thick and shiny. Add apple coconut mixture and combine thoroughly.
Pour ganache into a 2 inch deep baking pan, spreading evenly. Place ganache in freezer for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and scoop out into small balls and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place ganache balls back into the freezer.
For Coating
While ganache balls are in freezer for the 2nd time, make the chocolate glaze. Place the remaining chocolate chips in a large bowl over a pan of hot water again set at high heat. Stir occasionally until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat and let chocolate cool to room temperature. Note: This part is important in order to get the outside crunch of chocolate that a truffle typically has.
Remove ganache balls from freezer and drop into bowl of room temperature chocolate. Retrieve truffles with a fork and place back onto parchment paper baking pan.
Place coated truffles in the refrigerator for 10 minutes until hardened. Truffles are served best at room temperature. To add some color, top truffles with a sprinkle of coconut and cinnamon before their coating hardens.
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Makes 10 to 12 truffles
Adapted by Brittany Rigas from Ron Askew, Basic Chocolate Truffles Recipe, 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment