White Wine Autumn Custards

INGREDIENT LIST

Caramel Sauce
1c Brown Sugar
1/2 c Half and Half
4 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla
Pinch of Salt

Graham  Crust
1/2 c Graham Crumbs
1/4 c Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp & 1 tsp Butter, melted
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg

Custard
2 c  Milk (Homogenized)
2 Tbsp  Corn Starch
6 Tbsp  Granulated sugar
2 Yolks
2 Tbsp  Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
Pinch of Salt

Poached Apples
2 Large Granny Smith Apples
1 Tbsp  Lemon Juice
2 c White Wine (Off-Dry)
1 c Water
3/4 c Granulated sugar
1/4 tsp  Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Fresh Grated Ginger

1/4 c Pecans, chopped for Garnish


DIRECTIONS

For caramel sauce, combine sugar, cream, salt and butter into sauce pan over medium heat. Stir slowly but constantly until mixture blends and starts to thicken, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat to add vanilla, return to heat to allow it to thicken a little more. About 1-2 minutes. Pour into a glass container and refrigerate till ready for use.

For graham crust, preheat oven to 350F. Take a baking sheet and place 4, 3 ½ inch diameter ramekin dish on it. In a small mixing bowl combine graham crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Take 1 Tbsp and 1 tsp butter and melt. Pour melted butter over crumb mixture and blend well. Put 4 Tbsp of graham mixture into each ramekin. Using the back of your tablespoon, press crumbs along the bottom and up to half way up the dish, thinning it as you move up. Bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool as you make custard.

For the custard, separate egg yolks and put into a medium bowl and whisk in 1/2 c milk. Set aside. Then in a sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in milk a little at a time to avoid lumps. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring to simmer and remove from heat. Leave burner on. Spoon 1/2 c of hot mixture at a time into set aside egg milk mixture. Mix well with each addition till no more is left in pot. Return custard into sauce pan and return to heat, stirring slowly to thicken. About 4-6 minutes. Pour custard into each graham crust ramekins and press a small piece of saran onto each custard surface so skin doesn’t form. Refrigerate till ready for about an hour or till ready to serve.

For the poached apples, in a shallow dish pour lemon juice in. Peel, core and slice each apple and toss slices in lemon juice to stop browning. Remove apple slices and  place them in a medium bowl. Pour 1 c white wine over apple slices and let sit for approx. 15 minutes to really absorb the flavour of the wine. Remove apples and pour wine into sauce pan with remaining wine, water, sugar ginger and cinnamon. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add apples, cover and simmer 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let cool.

Take chopped pecans and toss in a warm frying pan. Over medium high heat, toss them until they become toasted. Watch carefully.

Once ready for serving, take saran off custard and top with poached apples, drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar October 2015.