It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
. . . or a bowl of fried apples with bourbon caramel.
. . . topped with some cinnamon whipped cream. Happy fourth wedding anniversary, baby! Here's to another wonderful year.Fried Apples with Bourbon Caramel
Adapted from The Lee Bros. Cookbook, winner of the 2007 James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year Award
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/8 inch slices
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/4 teaspoon for cinnamon whipped cream
1/4 cup heavy cream, plus 1/2 cup for whipped cream
1/8 cup Kentucky bourbon
Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized skillet until the froth begins to fade and the butter begins to turn gold around the edges. Add the apples and stir to coat in the butter. Cook over medium-high heat until the apples begin to soften, between 3 and 5 minutes.
Stir in the water, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, then continue to cook until the liquids have reduced almost completely to a thick film on the bottom of the pan, about 6 minutes. Add the 1/8 cup of heavy cream and stir, then cook until the juice is syrupy, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the bourbon. Allow the skillet to rest for 1-2 minutes, which will allow the alcohol to evaporate.
Meanwhile, beat the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and the 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon in an upright mixer on high speed until the whipped cream holds stiff peaks.
Serve the apple slices in a shallow bowl with plenty of the bourbon caramel spooned over them, then top with a generous dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.
* With thanks to Jane Austen for the title and opening sentence of this post.
