Salt and Black Pepper Caramel Apple Ribbon

Salt and Black Pepper Caramel Apple Ribbon
Probably one of my favorite confections of all time is the caramel apple.  What could be better than pairing it with frozen custard?
This is a sister recipe to my Base-ic Frozen Custard.  Can be served hot as a topping, or swirled into the fresh frozen custard before ripening.

Fried Apples

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, ½“ dice
¼ c butter
¼ c brown sugar
¼ t salt
½ t black pepper

Salted Caramel:

7oz soft caramel candies (1/2 bag)
7oz sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can)
1 t salt

Crunchies

1 c pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

In preparation, do this:

Line a sheet pan with a layer of lightly greased parchment paper that extends past all edges.  Set aside.

First do this:

In a medium sauce pan over low heat, combine the caramel candies, sweetened condensed milk, and salt.  Cook on low, stirring frequently, until caramels are completely melted into the milk.  Do not allow to boil  Remove from heat.  Pour onto the lined sheet tray and allow to cool.

Then do this:

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter.  Once the butter is melted, add the apples and cook until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes.  Add brown sugar, salt, and black pepper.  Cook until the brown sugar has melted and begins to bubble, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

For custard ribbon, now do this:

In freezer-friendly containers, layer with fresh frozen custard in this pattern:  Custard, caramel, apples, pecans, repeat.  When you get to the top, finish with custard.  Seal with a layer of waxed paper between the custard and the lid.  Store in the freezer at 0° and allow to ripen for at least 4 hours. 

For warm topping, eat it like this:

Place 1 or 2 scoops of frozen custard in a sundae dish (don’t use a cereal bowl, you eat with your eyes too!).  Spoon over 2 T of warm salted caramel, 2 T of warm fried apples, and 2 T chopped toasted pecans.

If you’re goin’ rogue:

Yes, you can omit the black pepper… but then how will you shock and impress your friends?

If you want it less sweet, you can omit the brown sugar from the fried apples.  Cook them about 6-8 minutes in total.

Don’t like salted caramel?  Omit all but ¼ t of the salt.  Like it saltier?  Add more salt.

Keep this in mind:

Do not overcook the salted caramel.  You are not further caramelizing it, as much as softening it to create a ribbon.  The darker the caramel, the deeper the flavor, but also the stiffer the caramel.

It’s important to transfer the caramel to the sheet pan to cool.  Keeping it in the pot will cause it to continue to cook, and maybe burn.