Bourbon Apples & Crème

Published on in Desserts, Recipes

I don’t think you can get any more autumn than apples. While you can get them year round thanks to our global marketplace, the fall ones are the best. There is something magical about those sun kissed Pacific Northwest apples. Yum!

MANY years ago, my husband introduced me to stewed apples with custard. It was a family favorite in his house growing up and I could quickly see why. Warm apples, warm eggy custard. You can’t get much better! My husband (and his mother) always made their stewed apples with Bird’s Custard which is delish, but also hard to come by outside Ireland and the United Kingdom. You can get it online and at some well stocked supermarkets, but it isn’t always easy to find.

I was cleaning out the cupboard a couple weeks ago and found a tin of Bird’s and got excited. I was hoping my husband would whip up a batch of stewed apples. Then my excitement was quickly squashed when I turned over the tin and saw the expiration date.

My mom and I frequently banter about expiration dates being a suggestion–she is firmly in the “suggestion” camp and I am firmly in the “not eating if expired” camp. I think we have decided to agree to disagree on this point, however, I will say if it is SLIGHTLY out of date by a couple days or weeks and it is not dairy, I will usually chance it. Sadly, and embarrassingly, our tin of Bird’s expired in 2014. Definitely not chancing that one!

There I was, deflated by expiration dates and craving stewed apples. I tried to put it behind me, but some cravings just intensify if not satiated. Stewed apples was one of them.

Fast forward to today. Two weeks had passed and it was time to address this nagging hunger. Armed with a bag of apples and a carton of eggs, I went into the kitchen.

Now, at this point I should tell you that the stewed apples my husband makes are beautiful because of their simplicity. Stew some apples, prepare the custard mix. Done and delicious. However, that isn’t quite my style and I decided to zhuzh it up.

What I came up with is Bourbon Apples & Crème (short for Crème Anglaise, which is fancy French for English Cream). I took inspiration from a bottle of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup ( YUM!) that I had in the cabinet and went to work. Thanks to this secret ingredient, the results were decadent and amazing.

While there is plenty of bourbon inspiration, this is still a family-friendly dessert. There is the tiniest amount of bourbon in the recipe and the alcohol evaporates during cooking; so you are left with depth, but not the buzz.

I turned up the delish by topping everything with whipped cream (yes, cream on crème!) and a maple syrup drizzle. However you serve it, I’m sure it will be a new fall favorite.

Bourbon Apples & Crème
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Bourbon Apples & Crème

Recipe by Oven and Spice / Kacey BaxterCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Stewed apples and custard get a makeover in this new take on a classic Irish dessert. The use of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup sets the stage for a dish with depth and flavor. Fall just got tastier.

Ingredients

  • Bourbon Apples

  • 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ chunks

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 2 tbs Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup, plus extra for drizzling

  • 4 tbs water

  • 3 tbs light brown sugar

  • 1 tbs quality bourbon or whiskey (optional)

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch (optional)

  • 1 tsp cold water (optional)

  • 1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter

  • Whipped cream for serving (optional)

  • Crème

  • 5 egg yolks

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  • Bourbon Apples
  • In a sauce pan, combine apples, cinnamon, water and maple syrup. Cook over medium heat until apples begin to soften, about 10-12 minutes. Apples should begin to release some juices.
  • Stir in sugar, salt and bourbon. Cook 5-7 minutes more or until apples are soft, but hold their shape.
  • Optional thickening: If there is a lot of residual liquid/juice in the pan, you may wish to thicken it to a sauce. If so, in a small bowl mix cornstarch and cold water until a slurry develops. Add this slurry to the apples and allow the liquid to come to a boil. Cook 1-2 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken and has the consistency of caramel sauce.
  • Remove pan from the heat. Stir in butter. Allow apples to cool slightly before serving.
  • Crème Sauce
  • Place a wire-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Whisk yolks, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl until pale yellow in color, about 1 minute. Set aside.
  • Place milk, cream and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat mixture over medium heat stirring constantly until steaming, about 3-4 minutes.
  • SLOWLY pour 1/4 cup hot milk mixture into yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly until incorporated. Yolk mixture should be smooth and lump free. SLOWLY add another 1/4 cup hot milk mixture into the yolks, again whisking constantly until incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and velvety.
  • Pour yolk mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture thickens slightly. It should coat the back of spoon with thin film, and register 175F to 180F degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 5-8 minutes. 
  • Immediately pour mixture through the fine-mesh strainer into the medium bowl. Once strained and no lumps remain, press a piece of plastic wrap flush against surface to prevent sauce from forming skin. If using crème immediately, allow to cool about 5 minutes with plastic on before serving. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
  • To Serve
  • Place apples in a small bowl or glass and top with crème sauce. If desired, add whipped cream and drizzle with Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup (I highly recommend it!). Enjoy!

Notes

  • The sugar in the apples can be adjusted based on personal tastes and the tartness of your apples. I recommend sampling the apple before cooking to know how sweet or tart it is and then proceed accordingly.
  • The Bourbon Aged Maple Syrup is amazing. If you are not able to purchase it before making the recipe, you can substitute regular REAL maple syrup and add an additional tablespoon of bourbon or whiskey to the apples during cooking.
  • Do not let the bourbon or whiskey scare you. This is still a kid-friendly dessert as the alcohol will burn off during cooking and only the flavor will remain.
  • If crème sauce was overheated and curdling occurs, pour instantly into a blender and process until smooth before straining.  If necessary, add a little heavy cream to the mixture before blending.

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