Chef Sunny Rosser
Fruit makes a naturally sweet and satisfying snack or dessert. But sometimes our sweet tooth wants us to gild the lily—or the peach, or pear, or apple.
That’s where a pastry chef like Sunny Rosser comes in. A staple in her pantry? Pastry cups. For each serving, take three 6-inch squares of phyllo dough, brush each with butter. As you stack them, stagger each sheet to make points. Lightly press into a muffin cup. Bake at 350ºF until brown. (Watch closely!) She suggests filling the cups at dessert time with a base of blue cheese/mascarpone mousse, topped with a baked, caramelized pear half. Or you could also use them as part of a variation on the customary trifle.
Speaking of variations, try adding a dash of clove and cinnamon to your next bowl of fresh sweet cherries. For desserts, “I like to incorporate whatever fruits are in season,” she says. “And any that can’t be used right away, can be made into compotes, purees, coulis, or chutneys.”
“I like to incorporate whatever fruits are in season … any that can’t be used right away, can be made into compotes, purees, coulis, or chutneys.”
For a tasty and crunchy apple garnish, start with firm apples (for example, B.C. Brand Fujis) and slice very thin. Poach in simple syrup [1:1 sugar and water] until slightly translucent. Drain, and place in a very low oven, about 250º–275ºF until they start to brown. They’ll harden almost immediately when removed from the oven.
Take a peak at some of the other recipe ideas in Sunny Rosser’s apple file…
- Apple tuilles
- Apple calvados ice cream
- Caramel apple spice cake with marscarpone cream
- Apple cream pie with butterscotch sauce and cinnamon chantilly cream
- Warm apple crumble tart with créme caramel ice cream
- Fuji apple tart tatin with ginger chantilly and blackberry sauce
- Apple crunch pie
- Apple cranberry lattice pie with maple ice cream
- Apple galette
- Spiced apple pecan bread pudding with cinnamon gelato
- Apple caramel trifle
So, when her sweet tooth attacks, what does she make? “Well,” she smiles, “there’s a gooey, fudge-y recipe for Molten Chocolate Cake. But I always think of apples as comfort food… nothing beats a piece of good apple pie!”
Recipe
Apple Tuilles
- 1 cup chopped, peeled and cored B.C. Brand apple
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
Puree the first three ingredients until very smooth. Using offset spatula, spread very thin into 1½ x 2½-inch rectangles on Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 325ºF for 20 to 30 minutes, or until dry.
Bend or twist into shape while still warm. You can use a wooden spoon or other cylinder, or twist freeform.
Use as a garnish. Store, tightly covered, in a cool, dry place.
