Apple Maple Sauté with Pecan Shortbread
JOANNE'S CREATIVE CATERING
Joanne MacDonald

Pecan Shortbread
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup icing sugar
1-1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp. ground pecans

Cream together butter, brown sugar and icing sugar. With hands, gradually mix in flour and ground pecans. mix until well combined and dough formas a ball. Roll dough on a lightly floured board until approximately 1/2 inch thick. With a maple leaf cookie cutter, cut out 20 shortbread cookies. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in preheated 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes - DON'T LET THE SHORTBREAD BROWN. Remove from oven, place on cookie racks to cool.

Apple Sauté
2 tbsp. butter
8-10 medium NS apples, peeled, cored and sliced

In large fry pan on medium heat, melt butter. Add apples, tossing lightly. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, drain (saving the juices in pan) and place apples in large bowl. In same fry pan with the saved juices, on medium-high heat, add the following, stirring constantly (with a whisk):

1 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup maple wine
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp. arrowroot or cornstarched mixed with
3 tbsp. apple juice
1/2 cup golden raisins

Whisk until mixture becomes thick. Add apples and toss gently until apples are coated with maple mixture. Remove from heat. Set aside to assemble dessert.

On individual plates, place one shortbread cookie in the middle. pour 1/10 of apple mixture on top. Garnish with second shortbread, fresh whipped cream or french vanilla ice cream. Maple leaf shaped candy is optional.

Annapolis Valley Apple Date Cake with Butterscotch Sauce
BETWEEN THE BUSHES
Stephen Moir

1-1/4 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup Calvados Apple Brandy, apple cider or apple juice
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2-1/2 cups grated, peeled NS apples
3 cups flour
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

In a saucepan, combine dates and Calvados (or cider/sple juice), and heat until bubbly. Simmer for 1 minute. Cool.

In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in apples and date mixture. Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves. Gently stir into batter until just mixed. Spread in a greased 9" X 13" cake pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Cool. Serve warm with Hot Butterscotch Sauce.

Hot Butterscotch Sauce
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup butter
1-1/3 cup light cream
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

In saucepan, bring sugar, syrup and butter to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in cream and return to boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.

Cider Ice
1 litre apple cider
2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Mix water and sugar and bring to a boil. Add cider and freeze until solid. Serve in Snap Tulip (optional).

Snap Tulip
1/3 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 tsp. lemon juice

Heat and stir butter, sugar, corn syrup and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Sift flour into saucepan. Mix well. Allow mixture to cool completely. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease several baking sheets, line with parchment or waxed paper. Drop small teaspoons of mixture onto prepared baking sheets. For ease of handling, bake only 6 snaps at a time, placing baking sheets in oven at 5 minute intervals. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool for a few seconds and then shape into cups. Serve with Apple Date Cake and Hot Butterscotch Sauce.

Dutch Appel Taart
BLOMIDON INN
Sean Laceby

1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg

Beat together butter, sugar and flour. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Add egg and baking powder to the remainder. Mix until dough forms. Press into 9" baking pan.

Filling
3-4 lbs NS apples
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tbsp. cinnamon
Pinch cloves
3 tbsp. sherry

Peel and cut apples very small. Mix in remaining ingredients. Press firmly into the crust. Add reserved topping. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes then at 375°F until done.

Caramelized Apple Galette
BOOK AND BOWL BISTRO
Krista Estabrooks

24 sheets Phyllo pastry
2 oz. melted unsalted butter
1 lb. maple sabayon
5 lb. NS Cortland apples
4 oz. unsalted butter
6 oz. sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream

Unwrap and unroll Phyllo. Cut each sheet into 6 squares. Cover with cloth. Layer 8 pieces of Phyllo with butter brushed between each layer. Do not butter top. Cut Phyllo stacks into circles approximately 5-1/2" in diameter. Place in large muffin tin and flute edges. Repeat until all Phyllo is used.

Pipe the maple sabayon evenly into each shell. Peel and core apples and cut into 8 wedges each. Melt second amount of butter in skillet, sprinkle in sugar and add apple wedges. Cook over medium heat until apple liquid has evaporated and sugar is caramelized (30-45 minute). Remove skillet from heat and allow apples to cool slightly. Place apples on a lined sheet pan and reserve syrup in skillet. PLace 6 apple wedges in shell over sabayon. Add cream to remaining sugar syrup in skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Strain and spoon over apples. Bake at 450°F for approximately 15 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from forms.

Maple Sabayon
8 egg yolks
5-1/4 oz. sugar
6 fl. oz Gaspereau Vineyard Maple Wine
1 fl. oz lemon juice

Combine yolks and sugar in stainless steel bowl. Add maple wine and lemon juice. Place bowl over simmering water, whip until sauce thickens, approximately 10 minutes.

Garnish with:
Mint leaves, caramel dipped apple wedges, tuile flower, sweetened cream cheese, sauce Anglaise and raspberry coulis. Serves 16.

Apple Cake
BOOK AND BOWL BISTRO
Melissa Alexander

4 cups thin sliced NS apples
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Mix together apple slices, sugars and lemon juice, set aside. Whisk together eggs, oil, apple sauce and vanilla extract. Sift together cake flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg.

Stir together apple mixture and liquid ingredients. Fold together wet and dry ingredients and pour into a greased 9" x 13" pan.

Bake in a 350°F oven until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Garnish with Apple Cream Cheese Icing and shaved chocolate.

Apple Cream Cheese Icing
1-1/2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 cups cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

Simmer apples, brown sugar and cinnamon together and strain through cheesecloth. Whip together cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and apple mixture. Smooth over cooled cake and garnish with shaved semi-sweet chocolate.

Sticky Apple Pudding
EVANGELINE INN AND MOTEL
Ellen Kennie

2 cups apple cider or water
1/2 cup chopped dates
4 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup butter
1-1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
2 cups NS Cortland apples, peeled and chopped

In a saucepan, bring liquid and dates to a boil. Boil until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in baking soda. Cool about 20 minutes.

Beat butter and sugar until light, add eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour and spices alternately with date mixture. Add chopped apples. Pour into a greased 9" square pan or mini bundt pans. Bake in 350°F oven for 40-50 minutes. Serve warm with toffee sauce.

Toffee Sauce
3/4 cup butter
1-1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Add whipping cream, simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in vanilla.

Apples Foster
BLOMIDON INN
Colleen Kendall

1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tbsp. rum or brandy
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 firm NS apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices (approx. 12 slices per apple)

Heat butter and sugar until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Add cinnamon, rum or brandy and apples. Continue to cook until apples are warm but remain firm. Serve over a rich vanilla ice cream. Serves 6-8.