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Tyler Florence’s Apple Charlotte with Cinnamon Sabayon

From The Food Network

Total Time: 50 min.
Yield: 4 individual cakes.
Level: Intermediate.

Ingredients

For the filling:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
4 medium Granny Smith apples
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the batter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for greasing ramekins
2 tablespoons sugar, for ramekins, plus extra for top
20 slices brioche bread, crust removed
Cinnamon sabayon, recipe follows

Directions

Begin by making the filling. Set a large saute pan or roasting pan over medium heat and add butter. Peel and cut cheeks off apples then cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Once butter has melted and just starting to foam, add apples, scraped vanilla bean and pod, lemon juice, and brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat well and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until apples are just tender and liquid has evaporated. The sauce will caramelize slightly and should be a nice, rich dark color.

In a shallow dish, make the batter by combining eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir with a whisk until fully combined.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and generously butter and sugar 4 (1-cup) ramekins.

Invert a ramekin, or use a round cutter, on half of the bread slices to use as a guide to cut out circles. These will be the bases and top of the charlottes - you should have 8 in total. Cut the other slices of bread in half lengthwise.

Working with the circles. lightly coat in the batter and place in the bottom of each ramekin. Lightly dip the other rectangles of bread in batter as well, then use them to line the walls of each ramekin - standing them upright around the perimeter leaving an overhang that you will later use to fold over and seal the charlotte. It should take about 6 strips per ramekin. Fill each mold with apples and some of the caramel from the pan. Fold over the edges to seal it up completely and sprinkle the tops with a little sugar.

Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. When done, the bread will have puffed up slightly, the edges will be brown and the sugar on top will have caramelized. Allow to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto individual plates. Serve with cinnamon sabayon.

Cinnamon Sabayon
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup calvados or apple liqueur
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
Splash water
To make sabayon, combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set over a pot of boiling water on low heat, i.e. a double boiler. Whisk (you can use an electric whisk to make it easier) until the mixture becomes light and fluffy and the volume almost doubles.

Sara Moulton-Inspired Start-of-Fall-Tart

Serves 8

1/2 recipe Basic Pie Pastry Dough (recipe follows) or use store-bought pie shell instead of homemade dough. Just let it soften enough so you can ease it into the tart tin

3 large tomatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices-if you can still find yellow tomatoes, add them for color.
Kosher salt for sprinkling
¼ C pesto
1 C coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/2 C fresh corn kernels
1/2 C butternut squash, sweet potato or regular potato, small dice, sautéed ahead
Butcher’s Best Broccoli-Rabe Sausage, cooked and sliced thinly
Lemon zest, optional
2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick round on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, cut off any excess dough from the edge, and prick the bottom lightly with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line the pastry shell with foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the weights and foil. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes more or until light golden. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Turn up the oven to 400ºF. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and drain in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes. Spread pesto over the bottom of the shell and sprinkle the cheese over it. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in one overlapping layer.  Sprinkle with squash/potato and corn. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the tomatoes are very soft, 35 to 40 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, basil, thyme, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste to blend. Sprinkle the pie with this mixture while hot and spread out gently with the back of a spoon.

Serve the pie hot or at room temperature. Great for a lunch or light dinner with a side salad.

Basic Pie Pastry Dough

Mix 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon table salt in bowl of food processor. Add 12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces. Pulse once or twice to blend.

Add the butter and process until blended, about 20 seconds. Add 4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water to form a soft dough. Add another teaspoon of cold water if the dough appears to be too dry.

Turn out onto a floured work surface and work gently into a rough ball.

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (The pastry dough can be made up to a day in advance or kept frozen for up to a month.) Makes enough for two 9-inch tart shells or a double crust.

Chilled Thai Carrot-Coconut Soup

Chilled Thai Carrot-Coconut Soup
(serves 8)

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T peeled grated fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced
1 fresh hot pepper, seeds and pith removed, minced. Start with a half. Add more if you like it spicy
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 pounds carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cups vegetable stock or water—enough to cover carrots by at least 2 inches
1 can of coconut milk
Grated zest of 2 limes
Salt and pepper to season
To finish: splash of fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh mint; sauteed chopped shrimp

In a soup pot, saute in a little vegetable oil until softened, but not browned, the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chili and cardamom. Add the carrots and the stock. Cook at a low boil until the carrots are cooked through.

In a blender or with a hand immersion blender, puree. Add a little stock if it’s too thick.  Add one can of coconut milk and lime zest. Chill.

When cold, check seasoning and finish with a splash of lime juice. Stir in fresh cilantro, basil and/or mint. Top with chopped shrimp if desired.