One last apple recipe for 2013. This is from “The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods” by Sara Forte.
From the book:
The contrasts in both temperature and texture—from the crunchy crust, to the cold ice cream, to the warm apples—put this ice cream pie in a class all its own. And, believe it or not, all the components can be made in advance, so all you have to do is simply warm up the apples when you’re ready to serve. If you or someone you’re serving has a nut allergy, 1/2 cup more oats can be substituted for the pecans in the crust.
Note that if you put all the warm apples on top of the ice cream pie, you will end up with a big mess. I suggest cutting the pie into pieces and serving each with an individual scoop of warm apples. Alternatively, you can serve the sautéed apples at room temperature, which will keep the ice cream from melting so quickly.
Ingredients:
Oat Crust: 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/2 cup chopped raw pecans 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted Filling: 1 quart premium vanilla bean ice cream Topping: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 large tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Chopped toasted pecans or granola, for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
To make the crust, stir together the oats, pecans, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan and bake until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and use the back of a spoon to push the crust back up the sides, as it will have fallen a bit, and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow it to soften for about 10 minutes. Scoop the ice cream into the pie shell and spread it in an even layer. I find this works best by using a large spoon and dipping it in warm water every so often to help spread the ice cream out flat. Put the pie back in the freezer to firm up for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, placing a piece of plastic wrap on top if you’ll be freezing it for more than a few hours.
To make the topping, melt the butter in a large sauté pan. Add the apple slices and sauté until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla and continue cooking until a sauce forms, another 2 minutes.
Remove the ice cream pie from the freezer, cut into six pieces, wiping off your knife between each slice, and spoon the warm apples on top of each slice. Alternatively, let the apples cool to room temperature and then pile them onto the ice cream pie before cutting into serving pieces. Garnish with the pecans or granola and serve immediately.