Monday, September 24, 2012

Hot Caramel Apples Over Ice Cream

 

 An old family recipe called Hot Caramel Pears Delicious is the basis for this recipe.  My mom would use a one pound 13 oz. can of pears in heavy syrup when she made this favorite dessert.  I have given way to choosing pears canned in their own juice and then further tweaked the recipe by cutting back on sugar and cornstarch in the recipe below as well as using fresh apples.  However, I think there  would be a some disappointment on the part of my family if I didn't include the original recipe for Pears Delicious at the end of this post - it's now yellowed, dog-earred, almost unreadable, as well as been lost and found  more than once, and  my girls have been after me to type it up for quite a while!

Ingredients:

(About 6 servings)

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

2 cups apple cider

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 quart vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Put the apple slices and cider in a pan and heat to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer until the apple slices are tender.  A fork should go into them easily, but you don't want them to get to the point of being mushy or like apple sauce.  While the apples are cooking mix the brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a bowl.  When the apples are ready, take them out of the apple cider and set them aside.  Turn the heat back up to high and slowly whisk in the sugar/cornstarch/cinnamon mixture. Let it get to a boil. Turn the heat back down to a simmer and stirring constantly, let it cook for 2 minutes.  By now the mixture should be nice and thick.  Add the butter and stir until mixed in.  Gently put the apple slices back into the sauce.  Put a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream into each serving dish and spoon the sauce over the ice cream.  If desired,  Garnish with cinnamon stick or a sprinkle of additional cinnamon.

Original Recipe for Hot Caramel Pears Delicious
1 can (1 lb. 13 0z.) pear halves
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pear syrup (from can of pears)
1/4 cup (1/2 stic) butter
1 quart vanilla ice cream
Drain Pears, reserve syrup.  In sauce pan, combine cornstarch, brown sugar, and cinnamon; mix well.  Stir in syrup.  Cook, stirring constantly until sugar boils, reduce heat and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Add butter and pears and heat to serving temperature.  For each serviving place pear half in dish with a large scoop of ice cream, spoon sauce over ice cream and top with additional cinnamon if desired.  Makes 8 servings.

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