Our resident baking babe, MINI MARTHA, gets snappy with crab apple dumplings and gingersnap ice cream, just in time for Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin pie is nice, but if you want to really impress your guests (or your stomach) with the perfect seasonal confection, research no further than this apple-dumpling recipe. These api etoiles (French for small star apple) are the perfect serving size; though, any crab apple can be used. Paired with this gingersnap ice cream (which is the best winter-themed ice cream I’ve ever tried), you’ve got an out-of-this-world Thanksgiving dessert. Sweet, soft, crunchy, apple-y, spicy, hot, and cold, these dumplings and ice cream are what food comas are made of.
Crab apple dumplings filling:
8 crab apples of any variety (api etoile is especially nice)
1/3 cup of sugar
3/4 tsp of cinnamon
3/4 tsp of ginger
1/4 tsp of cloves
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
2 tbsp of butter
Vodka piecrust (cook’s illustrated):
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp of sugar
12 tbsp of cold unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
1/2 of shortening cut into tablespoons
1/4 cup of chilled vodka
2 tbsp of cold water
Gingersnap ice cream (adapted from The New York Times):
2 cups of heavy cream
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1/8 tsp of fine sea salt
6 large egg yolks
2 tbsp of molasses
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ginger
1/8 tsp of cloves
15 gingersnap cookies crushed
1. Start with the ice cream: Place the heavy cream, sugar, and sea salt in a pot. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is about to start simmering. In the meantime whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until combined. Slowly add the hot cream to the eggs while constantly whisking. Add the egg and heavy cream mixture back into the saucepan and continue to whisk on medium heat until the mixture can coat the back of a wooden spoon and when running your finger on the custard-coated spoon, your finger leaves a clear line (the custard does not cover the area that your finger had just been). Once the custard has reached this stage, turn off the heat and strain the ice cream through a mesh sieve and into a glass bowl (this is to strain out any scrambled egg). Stir in the molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Then on top add the crushed gingersnaps. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then cover in saran wrap and place in the fridge for at least 24 and up to 36 hours (to really let the gingersnap flavor set in). Once finished chilling, strain the cookies out of the ice cream base and then pour the base into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers directions. Once finished set aside in the freezer until the dumplings are done.
2. While the ice cream base is cooling in the fridge make the piecrust. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and blend. Add in the chopped up butter and shortening and pulse until it forms pea-sized crumbs. Stream in the vodka while the processor is running. Turn the food processor off as soon as the dough comes together, if it is not doing this stream in the water. Separate the dough into eight balls and put them in the fridge. Once slightly hardened, dust them with flour and roll each one out into a rectangle while it is sandwiched between two pieces of wax paper. Place these all on a plate and move them back to the fridge to chill more.
3. Once the ice cream is finished, assemble the dumplings. In a bowl mix the sugar with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Peel the apples, then halve
Pumpkin pie is nice, but if you want to really impress your guests (or your stomach) with the perfect seasonal confection, research no further than this apple-dumpling recipe. These api etoiles (French for small star apple) are the perfect serving size; though, any crab apple can be used. Paired with this gingersnap ice cream (which is the best winter-themed ice cream I’ve ever tried), you’ve got an out-of-this-world Thanksgiving dessert. Sweet, soft, crunchy, apple-y, spicy, hot, and cold, these dumplings and ice cream are what food comas are made of.
Crab apple dumplings filling:
8 crab apples of any variety (api etoile is especially nice)
1/3 cup of sugar
3/4 tsp of cinnamon
3/4 tsp of ginger
1/4 tsp of cloves
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
2 tbsp of butter
Vodka piecrust (cook’s illustrated):
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp of sugar
12 tbsp of cold unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
1/2 of shortening cut into tablespoons
1/4 cup of chilled vodka
2 tbsp of cold water
Gingersnap ice cream (adapted from The New York Times):
2 cups of heavy cream
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1/8 tsp of fine sea salt
6 large egg yolks
2 tbsp of molasses
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ginger
1/8 tsp of cloves
15 gingersnap cookies crushed
1. Start with the ice cream: Place the heavy cream, sugar, and sea salt in a pot. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is about to start simmering. In the meantime whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until combined. Slowly add the hot cream to the eggs while constantly whisking. Add the egg and heavy cream mixture back into the saucepan and continue to whisk on medium heat until the mixture can coat the back of a wooden spoon and when running your finger on the custard-coated spoon, your finger leaves a clear line (the custard does not cover the area that your finger had just been). Once the custard has reached this stage, turn off the heat and strain the ice cream through a mesh sieve and into a glass bowl (this is to strain out any scrambled egg). Stir in the molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Then on top add the crushed gingersnaps. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then cover in saran wrap and place in the fridge for at least 24 and up to 36 hours (to really let the gingersnap flavor set in). Once finished chilling, strain the cookies out of the ice cream base and then pour the base into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers directions. Once finished set aside in the freezer until the dumplings are done.
2. While the ice cream base is cooling in the fridge make the piecrust. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and blend. Add in the chopped up butter and shortening and pulse until it forms pea-sized crumbs. Stream in the vodka while the processor is running. Turn the food processor off as soon as the dough comes together, if it is not doing this stream in the water. Separate the dough into eight balls and put them in the fridge. Once slightly hardened, dust them with flour and roll each one out into a rectangle while it is sandwiched between two pieces of wax paper. Place these all on a plate and move them back to the fridge to chill more.
3. Once the ice cream is finished, assemble the dumplings. In a bowl mix the sugar with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Peel the apples, then halve