Recipe: Olives' Apple-Topped Gingerbread with Applesauce and Cinnamon Ice Cream

APPLE-TOPPED GINGERBREAD WITH HOT APPLESAUCE AND CINNAMON ICE CREAM



"The Apple-Topped Gingerbread is complete when it comes out of the oven, but we couldn't resist gilding the lily with applesauce and cinnamon ice cream."

APPLE-TOPPED GINGERBREAD
This is also delicious just served with sweetened whipped cream.

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sour cream or full-fat yogurt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh gingerroot
2 hard apples (such as Granny Smith, Baldwin, or Macoun), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FOR SERVING:
Applesauce (recipe follows)
Cinnamon Ice Cream (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

Place the butter and sugar in a bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle and mix until creamy. Add the molasses and mix until creamy. Add the sour cream and mix until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and gingerroot and mix just to combine. Place the batter in the prepared pan and smooth down. Place the apples on top in a circle, shingle style, around the edges of the cake.

Transfer the cake to the oven and bake until the center is set and springs back under pressure, about 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with the melted butter.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover and store at room temperature up to 2 days.

TO FINISH AND ASSEMBLE:
If necessary, heat the Applesauce.
Slice the Apple-Topped Gingerbread into 10 pieces.
Garnish with Cinnamon Ice Cream and hot Applesauce.

APPLESAUCE
Makes about 1 quart

"If you peel the apples first no straining is necessary. Why would you leave the skins on if they'll only cause you heartache later? Because if you choose a red apple, your applesauce will come out a muted rose color, which is quite appealing (just a little fruit humor!)."

2 pounds tart apples, cored, peeled, and quartered
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 cup apple cider
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks

Place all the ingredients in a large pot and cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir and continue to cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat one to two times or until the apples are falling-apart soft, about 40 to 60 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and puree or strain the mixture through a sieve. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.

CINNAMON ICE CREAM
Makes 2 quarts

1 cup heavy (whipping) cream and 3 cups milk (or 2 cups milk and 2 cups heavy cream)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cinnamon sticks
2/3 cup sugar
8 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

Place the heavy cream, milk, salt, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Allow to steep for 1 hour.

Place the 2/3 cup sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix to combine. Return the cream to a boil and pour over the egg mixture, whisking all the while. Allow to sit 5 minutes. Pour through a strainer and discard the solids. Chill in an ice bath. When cool, cover and refrigerate.

(If desired, you can mix the 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar together and add it to the ice cream after it has cooled but before it is frozen. Don't add it earlier, the cinnamon acts as a starch and will give you glue if added during the cooking process.)

Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes 1 (9-inch) cake, 10 servings
Source: The Olives Dessert Table by Todd English, Sally Sampson and Paige Retus