A caramel apple is a sweet treat I’ve always admired from afar. It’s the sort of thing that “looks” appealing to eat… all of that gooey caramel wrapped around a crunchy, juicy apple. But it’s also the very treat that I’m unwilling to tackle eating. With these caramelized apple waffle pastries, you get all of the satisfaction of eating a caramel apple but in an entirely new and more delicious way.
Ingredients needed:
unsalted butter apples white sugar cornstarch ground cinnamon ground nutmeg salt vanilla extract Puff Pastry heavy whipping cream
How to make Caramelized Apple Pastries:
Caramelize the apples: Peeling the apples is the most time consuming part of this recipe. I like to use the Granny Smith variety. Peel the apples, core them, and cut them into wedges. They’re sautéed in butter, sugar and spices, with a touch of cornstarch to thicken the syrup and a splash of vanilla for flavor. They simmer in that buttery, sugary mixture for about 15 minutes, until the apples are tender, caramelized and swimming in thick, cinnamony juices. Set the mixture aside to cool down. Prepare the waffle pastries: Frozen Puff Pastry (thawed) is used for this dessert. Simply cut down the two seams to make three large rectangles, then cut each rectangle into three equal pieces. You’ll end up with nine rectangles. Sprinkle each piece of Puff Pastry with cinnamon-sugar.
Heat a waffle iron and spray with nonstick spray. Set the Puff Pastry into your waffle iron. Close and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Repeat with the rest of the Puff Pastry and set the waffles aside.
Prepare the whipped cream:
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the heavy whipping cream until thick and stiff peaks form. Stir in a half teaspoon of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Assemble the caramelized apple waffle pastries:
Place waffle pastries on a platter and top with caramelized apples. Drizzle pan juices on top. Pipe whipped cream on top of the apples and serve.
The great part about this recipe is that it can be prepared ahead. Everything can be served cold. If you’d rather serve it warm, top the steamy apples with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of hot, caramel syrup. Enjoy!
