Apple for Sweetdreams

This is a recipe dedicated for all sweettoothers out there ! ;) Enjoy..... Serves 4

Ingredients

Apples
4 small Elstar or Royal Galaapples - peeled and cored
4 strips orange zest;
4 stripslemon zest
2 vanilla pods, halved;
50g /1 3,/" oz butter
500ml / 1 pt 1 fl oz / 1 %cups syrup

Walnut Ice Cream
1 litre / 2 pts 1 ~ fl oz / 4 'J4 cups milk
8 egg yolks; 250 g / 8 3j" oz / 1 y., cups sugar
15g / Y2 oz walnut paste
5 tsp glucose

Caramel Sauce
200g / 7 oz / 1 cup sugar
150ml / 5 fl oz / % cup water; 30g / 1 oz salted butter

Almond Brioche
1 OOml / 3 % oz / % cup almond cream
4 pcs [10 by 3 by O. 7cm (4 by 1.2 by 0.3 inch) each] almond brioche
Almond flakes; icing sugar

Garnish
20 pistachios

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 85°C (185°F).
Stuff the hollow core of each apple with a strip of orange and lemon zest, and half a vanilla pod. Coat the apples in butter and syrup and bake for 12 hours.
Bring the milk to the boil.
Whisk the egg yolks and 1 OOg / 3 '12oz / Y2 cup of sugar with some warm milk, then add the mixture to the rest of the milk. Slowly bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula for a smooth texture. Strain the mixture into a mixing qowl and set the bowl on a basin filled withice to cool. When cool, add the walnut paste, glucose and the remaining sugar and mix well.
Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the specifications.
When ready, keep frozen until required .
Combine the sugar and 60ml / 2 fl oz / Y4 cup of water in a saucepan and caramelise over low heat. Deglaze with theremaining water and mix until the caramel dissolves completely.
Add the butter and mix well for a smooth texture.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Apply almond cream to each piece of almond brioche. Arrange the almond flakes on the cream to resemble fish scales. Sprinkle some icing sugar over and placethem on a non-stick baking tray.
Toast them in the oven until crispy and golden brown in colour, and then place them under intense heat in a salamander to glaze the icing sugar.

Extracted from Expatriate Magazine.