I've said it before and I'll say it agin, I love a good pudding! Now that we are very much into winter (although we have been there most of summer anyway), and the days are getting colder and shorter and the nights darker, a pudding becomes a necessity in my opinion! In some cases, if not most, the traditional puds are the best, the crumbles and the treacle tarts, the syrup sponges and the hot chocolate fudge cakes. A good pudding with custard is one of the perks of this horrifically cold weather, along with snuggly jumpers and faux fur scarves!
But what happens when you get fed up of the same old puddings? What about when the stodge and the custard has just got a bit too much? Well, if you're anything like me (which I don't think anyone is because I am rather oddly unique!) you go looking for something new to try. This post is just that, a new pudding, or if you rather, a dessert. It uses apples, a good winter standby, and brioche, which makes it much lighter than many traditional hot desserts, and comes with a not-too-sweet caramel sauce. It is quick to make and really doesn't take much effort, but produces a beautiful warming finish to any meal at the end of a long, cold day.
The Ingredients
Dessert apples (such as braeburns or similar - I used Jazz apples simply because that is what we always have in), slices of brioche, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, pecans, and apple juice.
You need a slice of brioche and an apple per person. Start by chopping the apples into wedges and removing the core, but do not peel them.
In a frying pan, on a medium heat, melt the butter.
To the butter add the brown sugar and cinnamon, and stir in.
When it has become a slightly thicker consistency, add the apple wedges to the pan, and gently move them round to coat them in the caramel sauce.
Leave on the heat and stir occasionally, but keep an eye on them. The sauce thickens considerably and starts to bubble, but don't let it burn.
While the apples are cooking, chop or break up the pecan nuts into smaller pieces ready to add to the apple and caramel at the end.
Also toast your brioche so it is nicely done on each side. Make sure you don't burn it - burnt brioche will completely overwhelm the rest of the flavours in the dessert!
As I previously stated, you need apple juice for this recipe, but you can also add some form of alcohol if you wish. I chose amaretto because it is by far my favourite alcoholic drink, but rum would work well also. Using alcohol is completely optional, if you don't want to just replace the 2 tbsp of alcohol with extra apple juice.
Add the apple juice and alcohol, if using it, and stir through, and then add the pecans, and stir again. Leave on the heat for a further minute or two, make sure the apples wedges are nicely coated, and then serve.
Spoon the caramel apple mixture onto the toasted brioche in equal amounts, and enjoy!
The apples retain a slight crispness on the outside but then melt in your mouth when you bite into them, while the caramel sauce isn't overly sweet because of the addition of the apple juice (and the alcohol). The pecans provide a crunch, and the brioche soaks up the sauce and complements the apple perfectly.
So if an apple crumble doesn't make your mouth water, why not try using apples for something a bit different! Trust me, its worth trying something new, after all, the old favourites will still be there when you want something a bit more traditional again.
Bye for now!
Kate
xxx
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