Apple Crumble CrÉme Brûlée

A heavy hitting dessert showpiece, originally created as the finale to a fairytale themed dinner party; it was Snow White's Poisoned Apple. It's an apple and cinnamon créme brûlée where the sugar has been constructed around it, rather than on top, retaining the magic of shattering it with a spoon. Oh, and it's a lot easier to make than your guests will think!

Prep Time: 1hr (+12hr resting)

Cook Time: 20 Mins

Difficulty: Medium

Serves: Makes 3

Ingredients

For the Apple Creme Brûlée

• Apples with stalks still in - 2 no. (plus 1 more stalk)
• Granulated sugar - 4 tbsp  (1/3 cup)
• Grated lemon rind - 1 lemon
• Cinnamon - 0.25 tsp
• Grated nutmeg - a pinch
• egg yolks - 2 no.
• double cream - 250ml (1 cup)

For the Sugar Shells

• Caster sugar - 250g (9oz)
• Water - 250ml (1 cup)
• Red food colouring - 5 drops

To Serve (Optional)

• Apple cubes soaked in Lemon
• Crumble mix

Special Kit

• Sugar Thermometer
• Silicone Moulds (£5-8 from amazon - see Step One below)
• Optional - Piping Bag

First thing is to get the moulds. If you search silicon sphere moulds on amazon and look for something around 7cm (3 inches), they generally come with 6 semi-sphere moulds for around £5-8. One set of 6 should be enough, as you can make the sugar shells in batches.

Once they arrive, you'll need to use a pair of scissors (or very sharp knife) to cut free the semi-spheres from the rest of the silicon tray so that the hot sugar can drain off the sides of each mould and drop onto the table below (see the picture in Step Six below).

Steps Two and Three are ideally done the day before, although a few hours before should still be fine.

Also, if you fancy decorating the brûlée with a crumble mix, it's best to do this before as well. Crumble mix is; 100g (3.5oz) flour, 50g (2oz) butter, and 50g (2oz) sugar rubbed together and baked at 200°c (400°f; Gas Mark 4) until golden - around 30 mins.

Peel the apples and discard the cores (although keep the stalks - you'll need them later). Chop the peeled apples into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes and put into a saucepan with; 3tbsp of the sugar and all of the lemon rind, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook on the lowest heat until the apples are soft enough to mash. Drain off any excess liquid and mash using a potato masher (or food blender if you want the brûlée extra smooth).

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining 1tbsp of sugar until incorporated and sit within reach of the oven.

Next, is to thicken the cream. Pour the cream in a saucepan and begin to heat on low. Do not let it boil. If it boils, discard the mix and start again. Bring the cream to the point where you can just begin to see steam forming, once you get there, pour the yolk-sugar mix into the cream and start whisking. Turn the heat as low as it goes and gently stir the mix with the whisk for around 20 minutes.

If the mix looks like it's starting to separate, take off the heat and vigorously whisk until it goes back to normal. Then you can put it back on the heat and continue to stir. If it splits, start Step Three again.

At around 20 minutes it should start to resemble very thick custard - that's where you want it. Take off the heat and stir it into the Apple Sauce mix. Put into the fridge for at least 4 hours; ideally overnight.

In a pan, pour the 250g of sugar and 250ml of water. Put on a low heat and attach the sugar thermometer. Let the sugar-water heat, but don't stir (it makes the sugar cloudy). Some people like to brush the crystalline formations where the liquid meets the pan with a damp pastry brush to improve the sugar's clarity - I haven't found it makes too much difference though.

You're trying to get the sugar to 153°c (307°f). On that journey, couple of things to watch out for; it will sit at boiling temperature for a while whilst the water evaporates then shoot up quickly, so keep an eye on it. Secondly, sometimes it completely crystallises just after boiling temperature - nothing to worry about; it melts again. 

Once it gets near 153°c (307°f) stir in a few drops of red food colouring - enough to get an elegant red colour. Then when it reaches 153°c (307°f), take off the heat, remove the thermometer, and get ready to pour.

Straight off the hob, start to slowly pour over the moulds.

The best way to coat them is by starting to pour in the centre and very slowly spiralling outwards, coating all the dome surfaces with the circular motion.

With any left in the pan at the end go back and re-coat any areas missed.

Next is to get the stalks into 3 of the shells which are going to be the tops of the apples.

First dip the bottom end of the stalks into a little of the excess molten sugar from where it's run off the shells, as it'll help them stick. Then carefully place the stalks into the top of 3 of the shells and hold until the sugar starts to set them (shouldn't take more than a minute).

You may need to borrow someones hands for the third one...

Once you've done this, it's time to break off the sugar strands dangling off the bottom of the shells. You want to do this; after they're too flexible to break, but before they completely set. About 2-3 minutes should do it.

Very carefully break off all the stalks and return the moulds to the rack to continue to set.

Once you've waited 5 minutes for the sugar to set, it' time to peel the moulds away from the formed sugar shells.

Pick a corner and peel the mould away from the sugar, hold it in place, and pick another corner, then do the same. Once you've got 3-4 corners held in the middle, the sugar will drop away.

You might break 1 or 2 shells whilst getting the hang of it, simply make another batch of sugar (from Step Five above). The same process applies if you're making more than 3 apples, just put the shells you already have to the side and make another batch using the same moulds.

The sugar shells can now sit in a sealed parchment lined Tupperware container for 6 to 12 hours until you need them.

If you want to add lemon-apple cubes, this is the time. Just soak apple cubes in lemon juice for 10 minutes. And if you made some crumble mix, get this handy too.

You're pretty much there. Choose where on the plate you want to place the apple shells and put a little dollop of the créme brûlée mix. It stops the spheres rolling... I found that out the hard way.

Then, simply pick a bottom sugar shell, fill three quarters with the apple créme brûlée mix - either with a spoon or with a piping bag (piping does look better). Top with some lemon-apple cubes, and/or crumble, and place the sphere on your place.

Decorate the plate, put the Sphere's lid (the one with the stalk) on top, decorate the plate, and you're finished... see wasn't too bad...

Hope you enjoy!