Apple Snow

Ingredients:

 

For Apple Sauce:

 

• 4 pounds (6 to 8 apples) Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or other hard and fairly acid variety.
• 6 prunes
• 1 medium lemon
• 1 cinnammon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of sugar (optional)
• 1 pinch of salt

For Caramel:

 

• 1 cup of sugar
• A large bowl (that can accommodate the caramel pan) with cold water
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Apple Snow:

 

• 4 large egg whites (between 1/2 and 2/3 cups) at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup of sugar (if apple sauce is unsweetened)

Procedure:

 

Make Apple Sauce:

 

• Cut the apples in half.
• Add the zest of the lemon and the cinnamon stick and the prunes.
• Cook in a covered heavy-bottom pan over moderate heat — stir from time to time to prevent it from sticking to the bottom and burning.
• Alternatively you can cook the apples in a covered dish in the oven at 300F or 325F.
• After the apples soften, stir and mash until the whole mixture is tender.
• Remove the cinnamon stick.
• Process the cooked apples through the middle grate of a food mill — this will eliminate seeds, stems and large pieces of skin.
• Return the apple puree to the pan.
• Add the sugar (if using), the ground cinnamon, the pinch of salt, and the juice from the lemon.
• Return to the moderate heat and cook, stirring with a flat wooden spoon, until it is at the consistency that you desire.
• Let it cool and refrigerate or freeze.

Make the Caramel Sauce:

 

• Boiling caramel is the hottest thing that you will have in your kitchen and can cause serious burning.
• In a frying pan, evenly sprinkle half of the sugar and cook over moderate heat.
• Place the large bowl of cold water nearby.
• Warm up the heavy cream in the microwave or in a separate small sauce pan. It should be very hot but not necessarily boiling.
• Watch for hot spots where the sugar starts to melt first and sprinkle the remaining sugar over these hot spots.
• When the sugar starts browning in some spots, but some white sugar still remains, stir gently with a wooden spoon to ensure even melting.
• Keep cooking until the sugar is a deep amber colour.
• When small bubbles will form in the amber sugar, immediately place the bottom of the pan on the cold water to stop the cooking.
• With the caramel still fairly hot and liquid, pour the hot cream over it.
• Stir, if needed return to a moderate heat, until all the cream and the caramel make a homogeneous mixture.
• Stir in the vanilla and the salt.
• Pour into a small bowl and let cool. Serve at room temperature.

Make the Apple Snow:

 

• Beat the egg whites at low speed for a minute.
• Stir in the cream of tartar and slowly increase the speed.
• Beat until the egg whites form stiff shining peaks.
• If using sugar, sprinkle the sugar and continue beating until sugar is incorporated.
• Reduce the speed to moderate and incorporate 1/2 cups of apple sauce at a time until you have used 3 cups of apple sauce.
• At the end the mixture should be stiff enough to hold its shape when scooped with a spoon.
• Spoon the apple snow on serving goblets and pour some caramel sauce on top of each serving.