Caramel Apple Compote with Creamy Whip
This delicious dessert is a twist on a classic! Sweet apples cook in a rich caramel sauce with hints of ginger and cinnamon. It's layered with a light and airy whipped cream infused with lemon. Easy to make, yet impressive to serve...serve in individual glasses or one large bowl for sharing.
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz caster (superfine) sugar, divided
- 2 large dessert apples e.g. Braeburn peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
- 2 large Bramley, or Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
- 3 cm just over an inch piece of fresh root ginger peeled and thickly sliced
- 3 small cinnamon sticks
- 2.6 oz butter
- 2 free-range egg whites
- 8.4 fl oz double (heavy) cream
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
For the compote:
- Place 200g of the sugar into a heavy based fry pan (a wider surface helps the sugar burn evenly). Let is sit on a low heat until you start seeing signs of it melting underneath – at that point, start dragging the sugar from the outside towards the centre with a metal spoon. Once the sugar has more or less melted, put the spoon away and start swirling the pan to distribute the caramel evenly. You’re looking for a nice dark caramel, but don’t let it burn!).
- When all the sugar has dissolved and the caramel is nice and dark, add the apples, ginger and cinnamon sticks and swirl so that everything is coated in the caramel (should your caramel seize, simply keep the mixture at a good simmer until the toffee bits melt). Turn the heat down to low and cook for around 5 minutes, then add the butter. Cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the apples are tender (the more you cook the softer the apples will get.
- Pour the apples into a sieve set over a bowl to drain. Reserve the liquid, as this will be added to your cream later, and set it aside at room temperature to cool.
- Remove the ginger and cinnamon from the apple mixture and let it cool to a point where it can be placed in your serving glasses (if you’re in a hurry, put the bowl in the fridge to cool down). Once cooled, spoon the apples into 5 or 6 serving glasses (ensure there’s enough height in the glass for a good serving of cream on top), and put them back into the refrigerator to chill.
For the creamy whip:
- Once the apples have chilled, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Now whisk in the remaining sugar a little at a time, until the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream until thickened and just reaching soft peaks (it’s important you don’t over-whip, as the result may be stiff and/or grainy). Add three-quarters of the lemon zest and gently mix through. Now, take the reserved apple/caramel puree (it should be fairly thick and syrupy) and fold it through the cream until just combined (you might want to keep some to drizzle over the top).
- Finally, gently fold the egg whites into the cream mixture until just combined.
To assemble:
- Spoon or pipe the cream mixture over each chilled glass of apple compote. Sprinkle over the remaining lemon zest. If making ahead, put the desserts back into the fridge to chill.
- Take the desserts out of the fridge about 5-10 minutes prior to serving and drizzle over any reserved apple/caramel puree.
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 3gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 108mgPotassium: 190mgFiber: 3gSugar: 55gVitamin A: 986IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 0.2mg
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