Danish Apple Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Whip cream, 2 tbsp icing sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form (approximately 3 minutes - but it depends on the cream).
• Place butter in a skillet and melt over medium heat. Add brown sugar, bread crumbs, and cinnamon. Mix well and cook, stirring constantly, to toast the crumbs, 3-5 minutes. Let cool completely (you may need to break up some of the crumbs if they've clumped together - this is easily down in the processor). Set aside 1 tbsp of crumb mixture.
• Spread 1 cup of crumbs in a large bowl. Mix the lemon juice into the applesauce. Spread 1 cup of applesauce over crumbs. Next 1/2 of the whipped cream; then the last of the crumbs. Finally, another cup of applesauce and the balance of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and reserved bread crumbs. Chill for at least 3 hours.
• Serve spooned into sherbet glasses or sauce dishes.

Steps:

• Put the breadcrumbs and demerara sugar in a heavy-based non-stick pan and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until dark golden; transfer to a bowl, stir in the hazelnuts and set aside.
• Peel, core and slice the apples, grate the lemon rind and juice the lemon.
• Add the apples, honey, lemon juice and rind to a pan and cook gently for 10 minutes, breaking up the apples with a wooden spoon, until they are soft and pulpy.
• Using a wooden spoon, beat the apples into a thick purée and set aside to cool.
• Whik the caster sugar and egg white until stiff and fold into the cooled apple purée.
• Spoon half the apple mixture into 4 glass bowls, top with the breadcrumb mixture, and repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of breadcrumbs and nuts.
• Serve chilled.
• For variation: fold 150ml (5 fluid ounces) of cream and a tablespoon of brandy - or a liqueur of your choice - into the apple mixture.

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and instant yeast in a mixing bowl. Add the water and room temperature butter and beat for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining cup of flour and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl, turning to coat the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the chopped apples and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well; add the mixture to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool.
• Transfer the Danish dough to a floured surface and punch the dough down. Let the dough rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Roll the dough out into a 13 x 8-inch rectangle. Place the dough on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Turn the baking sheet so that you face the short side of the dough. Spread the apple filling down the center third of the dough. With a sharp paring knife, make cuts in the dough along the right side, starting each cut about 1/4 inch from the apple filling. Cut to the edge of the dough strip, with each cut angled to about 4 o'clock. Each strip of dough should be about 1-inch thick. Repeat on the left side of the dough, angling the cuts to 8 o'clock.
• Starting at the top, fold the dough strips across the apple filling, alternating left and right. The pastry will look like a long braid. Pinch the top and bottom ends of the braid to seal in the filling. Cover the pastry and let it rise at room temperature until the dough is puffy, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the braid for 20 minutes, covering it with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning. Remove the pastry from the oven and allow it to cool.
• To make the glaze, heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally and cook until the milk solids turn brown and give off a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Mix in the milk a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle. Decorate the Danish braid with the glaze.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a large heavy skillet melt butter over moderate heat and stir in bread crumbs. Cook bread crumbs, stirring constantly and breaking up lumps, until golden, about 5 minutes.
• In a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish layer 1 cup crumbs, 2 cups applesauce, and 1/2 cup preserves and repeat. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup crumbs on top and bake pudding in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Pudding may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat pudding in a 325°F. oven before serving. Garnish pudding with whipped cream and additional preserves.
• Serve pudding warm with whipped cream.
• To make chunky applesauce:
• Peel and core apples and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. In a large heavy saucepan bring water, apples, and sugar to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and starting to fall apart, about 25 minutes. Applesauce may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Makes about 5 cups.