CARAMELIZED APPLES WITH CHEDDAR STREUSEL

Caramelized Apples with Cheddar Streusel image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 35m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cores removed
1 ounce whisky
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
1/2 cup creme fraiche

Steps:

For the streusel: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine flour, butter, brown sugar, pecans, and smoked paprika. Using a pastry cutter, work the ingredients until a rough dough forms; it should resemble large grains. Place streusel on a nonstick baking sheet in an even layer. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake until toasty, 15 to 20 minutes.
For the apples: In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add sugar and water. Bring to a low boil, occasionally swirling the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn light brown to amber; this is a little tricky and needs to be watched continuously. When light brown, turn off the heat, add the apples and whisky, and light on fire to flambe (this will cook out some of the alcohol). Then, add the butter and turn heat to low. Cook the apples, flipping to coat in the caramel, about 2 to 4 minutes. In the meantime, combine the whipped cream and creme fraiche.
To assemble: Divide the apples into 8 individual serving dishes or one large one. Top with a dollop of the creme fraiche mixture and some streusel.