When I think fall I think football, sidewalks dotted with colorful leaves, pumpkin patches and of course, crisp, juicy apples. Apple season is officially here and while apples are delicious all by themselves (although I’m guilty of always smearing mine with peanut butter) they are one of autumn’s most versatile ingredients. Whether you are slow cooking apples with a roast for a family dinner, or frying them in a hand pie, there is no denying the distinctive fall flavor that apples bring to the table.
Baked apples is a simple dessert that perfectly showcases this fall fruit. We made Slow Cooker Baked Apples a few years ago and while they are delicious, the Test Kitchen wondered if we could adjust the recipe for sous vide. The sous vide method of cooking allows you to achieve even cooking to a desired doneness using a temperature-controlled water bath. Apples often turn mushy when overcooked but sous vide eliminates the chance of over or undercooking your dessert.
Select SOUS VIDE mode on your Hamilton Beach Sous Vide/6 QT Slow Cooker and set the temperature to 185 degrees and the time for 90 minutes. While the water bath warms, prep the apples.
Core the apples, leaving the bottom intact and peel about ½ inch around the top of each apple. Stuff your apples with a sweet mixture of brown sugar, golden raisins, and cinnamon and top with a slice of butter. Vacuum seal (you could also use heat-safe, resealable bags) your apples and add them to the water bath.
When the apples are finished, top them with a simple caramel sauce (and maybe even a scoop of vanilla ice cream) and serve. Cooking the apples sous vide leaves you with firm, perfectly done apples. The caramel sauce adds a sweet sheen to the dessert while the filling adds a little texture. Make these instead of your standard apple pie on Thanksgiving or put these sous vide baked apples on your post-apple picking menu.
Sous Vide Baked Apples
Ingredients
Instructions
- Select sous vide mode, and set temperature to 185ºF and time for 90 minutes.
- Core the apples leaving the bottom intact. Peel about 1/2 inch around the top.
- In a small bowl, combine 6 tablespoons brown sugar, golden raisins and cinnamon. Fill cores of apples with brown sugar mixture until almost full.
- Cut butter into 1/2 tablespoon-size pieces and insert into brown sugar mixture in apple cores. Place each apple in a sous vide-safe bag. Vacuum tightly and seal.
- When water reaches set temperature, add the apples to the water bath and press start.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high, bring apple juice and remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream. Set aside.
- When cooking time has ended, remove bags from water bath and open. Place apples on serving plates, top with caramel sauce and serve.
Notes
Increase or decrease cooking time for different varieties of apples or desired doneness. Serve with vanilla ice cream as an extra treat.
Sous vide cooking is now an accessible option for the home kitchen. This multi-functional countertop appliance can be used as a sous vide water oven or slow cooker.
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