Poached apples with maple cream
Instructions:
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Apple orchards abound throughout our country. The varieties grown in each area depend so much on the climate that it's hard to give just one suggestion for the best apple for poaching! Select a firm, flavorful apple, such as Golden Delicious, Melrose, Winesap, Jonathan, Rome Beauty, or Granny Smith. Although we usually think first of Vermont when maple syrup is mentioned, there are other areas throughout the country where the delicious syrup is produced—Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, just to name a few. Because the apples are pared before cooking, they will cook very quickly. Certain varieties might even get mushy all of a sudden. Watch them very carefully while cooking; it just takes minutes. This dessert is delicious and beautiful when you serve one whole apple on a plate surrounded with the maple-and-cream sauce.
- 4 large, firm apples;
- 1 cup maple syrup;
- 1⁄2 cup water;
- 1 tablespoon butter;
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour;
- 1⁄2 cup light cream or half-and-half.
- Pare and core the apples.
- In a saucepan, combine the syrup and water. Bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Add the apples and cover. Simmer until the apples are tender but not mushy, 3 to 8 minutes. With slotted spoon, lift the apples onto individual dessert dishes or plates. Boil syrup until reduced to 3⁄4 cup.
- Pour syrup into a measuring cup. Melt butter in the saucepan. Blend in the flour, cream, and then the syrup. Boil, uncovered, until reduced to 1 cup, about 3 minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature.