Caramel Apple Shortcakes Recipe 455

Steps:

• Make the shortcakes:
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Into a bowl sift together the flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, the baking powder, and a pinch of salt and stir in zest. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat 1 cup of the cream with the vanilla until it just holds soft peaks. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the whipped cream, and with a fork combine the mixture until it just forms a dough. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough 6 times, or until it is just combined well, roll or pat it out 1/2 inch thick, and with a floured 4-inch cutter cut out a total of 6 rounds, gathering and rerolling the scraps. Brush the rounds with the additional cream or the milk and sprinkle them with the additional sugar. Bake the shortcakes on a greased baking sheet in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer them with a spatula to a rack, and let them cool.
• Make the caramel apples:
• In a dry heavy skillet cook 1/2 cup of the sugar over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt and cook the sugar, stirring with a fork, until it is melted completely and turns a golden caramel. Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the cream carefully. Return the skillet to the heat and whisk the caramel sauce until it is smooth. In a large heavy skillet cook the apples, each peeled, cored, and cut into 8 slices, in the butter over moderately high heat, stirring, until they are browned lightly, add the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and cook the apples until they are soft and caramelized. Add the sauce to the apples and stir the mixture carefully.
• Break each shortcake in half, arrange 2 halves on each of 6 dessert plates, and spoon the apples over them.

Steps:

• Bake biscuits as directed on bag.
• Place on wire rack.
• Brush tops with melted butter.
• In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over biscuits.
• In 1-qt. saucepan, heat caramel over med. heat until just warm.
• Stir in apple; cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apple is crisp-tender.
• Split warm biscuits; fill and top with the apple mixture. Top with whipped topping.

Steps:

• Wash apples and dry thoroughly. Insert a wooden skewer in stem end of each apple. Spray plate with cooking spray.
• In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, corn syrup, milk and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, to 230°F on candy thermometer or until a few drops of syrup dropped into cup of cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool slightly.
• Quickly dip apples into caramel, swirling until completely covered. Dip bottoms in candy sprinkles. Place apples on plate until caramel is set.

Steps:

• Bake biscuits as directed on bag; place on wire rack. Brush tops with melted butter. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over biscuits. In 1-quart saucepan, heat caramel topping over medium heat just until warm. Stir in apple; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apple is crisp-tender. Split warm biscuits; fill and top with apple mixture. Top with whipped topping.

Steps:

• Slice all peeled and cored apples thinly. (Not PAPER thin, though.) Keep each apple's quantity separated for assembly.
• In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring 1 cup of sugar and the water to a simmer, scraping the sides down to dissolve all sugar granules.
• Simmer the syrup for 8 minutes, swirling the pan (don't stir!) and wiping down the sides to ensure even browning.
• Pour caramel into a 2-quart ceramic soufflé pan (or the like), swirling the caramel around the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
• Allow the caramel to cool, and harden, in the dish for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 250.
• Arrange a layer of apples on the caramel in overlapping circles, using one apple's quantity.
• Sprinkle this layer with 1 teaspoon of sugar and some orange zest.
• Repeat apple, sugar/zest layering for all 10 layers. They will overflow the pan. This is okay . NOTE: Assembling each layer/circle in the opposite direction will make the cake more stable when slicing and plating.
• Place the foil covered pan into a bano maria. (A roasting pan filled with water to halfway up the sides of the cake pan.).
• Bake 5 hours. A skewer inserted should come out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool completely, then refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Loosen the cake from the pan by warming it in hot water before placing the serving plate over the top and inverting the cake.
• Serve by cutting into 6-8 wedges and plating each with orange segments and whipped cream, if desired.