Sunday, November 9, 2014

Baked apple water ice

Soft fluffy baked or microwaved apples make a very easy and delicious water ice. Choose apples that are sharp and become soft and fluffy on cooking.
* Makes about 1 1/4 pints
  • 2 medium-sized tart cooking apples (such as Newtown Pippin, Jonagold, or Granny Smith)
  • 4 tbsp. honey
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus a sprinkle more for garnish
  • ginger snaps or cookies to serve

Make cuts around the middle of the apples (so they don’t split on cooking) and either microwave or bake until quite soft. Let stand until cool enough to handle, and then scoop out the fluffy white pulp into a bowl. Cool completely.

Gently stir in the honey, water, sugar, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix until well blended and the sugar has dissolved.

Pour into a freezer container and freeze until almost firm, stirring and breaking up with a fork once or twice. To serve, break up again into even crystals, then serve with ginger cookies or in ginger snaps that you have shaped into baskets while they cool. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon before serving.

Variations:
  • Apple cider water ice
Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the water with apple cider and omitting the cinnamon. Serve with a splash of Calvados.
  • Apple & quince water ice
Prepare the basic recipe, replacing 1 apple with 1 very ripe quince. Cook the quince slowly and gently until softened, then peel, core, and purée and add to the apple. Serve the water ice with sweetened whipped cream.
  • Apple & black currant water ice
Prepare the basic recipe, replacing 1 apple with 1 cup black currants. Cook the black currants with the sugar and water while the apple is cooking, then purée them and continue with the basic recipe, adding extra sugar to taste.
  • Toffee apple water ice
Prepare the basic recipe until partly frozen. Meanwhile, freeze 1/2 cup (3 ounces) toffee candy. Crush the frozen toffees in a bag using a rolling pin. Break up the water ice with a fork, stir in the candy, and refreeze.

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