Description
Elegant poached apples infused with black tea and white wine, topped with a luscious Calvados mascarpone cream. A divine winter dessert!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 apples (473 ml) apples
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cups (237 ml) boiling water
- 1 bag Celestial Seasonings Nutcracker Sweet Black Tea bag
- 0.5 cups (118 ml) dry white wine
- 6 tbsp honey
- 0.5 vanilla bean
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 0.5 cups (118 ml) mascarpone cheese
- 2 tsp sugar
- 0.25 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1-2 tsp Calvados
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Gently toss apples with lemon juice in a large bowl and set aside.
- Prepare the poaching liquid by combining boiling water and a tea bag; steep for one minute.
- In a medium saucepan, combine tea, wine, and honey. Scrape seeds from inside of a vanilla bean and add the bean and seeds, along with cinnamon, to the saucepan.
- Heat over medium until the honey dissolves.
- Carefully add the apples to the saucepan and cover with a round of parchment paper.
- Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, gently turning the apples once halfway through.
- Remove the apples to a large bowl.
- Reduce the poaching liquid to ¾ cup by cooking for a few more minutes.
- Cool the syrup and pour it over the apples.
- Cover the apples and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- Before serving, whip mascarpone cheese with sugar, vanilla bean paste, and Calvados.
- Add ¼ cup of poaching liquid and whip until soft peaks form.
- To serve, thinly slice apples lengthwise from just below the stem, leaving the apple attached at the stem end.
- Fan apples over individual serving plates and serve with a dollop of mascarpone cream, a drizzle of syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon (optional).
Notes
- For a stronger tea flavor, steep the tea bag in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes before adding it to the poaching liquid.
- If you don’t have Calvados, you can substitute with a similar amount of apple brandy or even a teaspoon of apple extract.
- To prevent browning, ensure apples remain submerged in the poaching liquid during cooking. Store leftover poached apples and syrup separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Poaching
- Cuisine: French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 apple half
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 20
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 20