Culinary Tip of the Week: Apples
Pommes Caramel
 

¾ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Butter
6 apples (Granny Smith, Baldwin, Rome, Jonagold, Pippin, Gala, Braeburn, Cortland, Winesap, Ida Red, Golden Delicious)
Lemon juice
1¾ cups heavy cream
Calvados to flavor the whipped cream

In a saucepan combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla and cook until dissolved.  Butter a shallow flameproof dish large enough to hold the apples in one layer.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In the meantime, peel, core, and halve the apples lengthwise. Rub apple slices with lemon juice to prevent discoloring or submerge in a bowl of water with 2 tablespoons lemon juice.  Arrange the apples cut-side-down in the prepared dish.  Pour the caramel over them, cover the dish with foil, and bake the apples for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and baste the apples with the caramel every l0 minutes until tender and glazed. 

Remove the apples with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a serving dish.  Reduce the syrup in a saucepan until thick.  Add ¾ cup of heavy cream, a little at a time, stirring constantly.

Whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream with the Calvados until cream reaches soft peaks.

Pour the caramel over the apples and serve warm with the whipped cream.