Apple Pie with Wood Fire Embered Ice Cream

Apple Pie with Wood Fire Embered Ice Cream

This beautiful apple pie packs all the presentation and flavor you want for a favorite Fall dessert. Complete the plate with the unexpected, smoky flavor of Sous Chef Faber's embered ice cream for a new take on this classic combination.


For the Pie Dough:
Yields: 4 crusts
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 T granulated sugar
2.5 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cubed
½ cup ice cold water

In a mixer, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Slowly add the butter cubes until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Slowly drizzle in the ice water until the dough comes together. You may not use all of the water. Remove from mixer and knead the dough a few times. Divide into four pieces and wrap individually.This can be frozen for later use.

For the Apple Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
10 apples
Juice of two lemons
1 T vanilla paste
3 cups of apple cider
2 T corn starch

Peel and cut the apples into a medium dice. Pour the sugar into a heavy-bottomed pot, and turn the heat to medium high. Caramelize the sugar to light, dark brown, then pour 2 cups of the apple cider in to stop the browning process. Add the apples and vanilla to the pot and mix to combine. Bring to a boil. Make a cornstarch slurry with the remaining cup of apple cider and the corn starch, then add it to the boiling mixture. Keep at a simmer for three minutes, then take off the heat and transfer the apple filling to a container to cool. Add the lemon juice once cooled.

Line a 9" tart shell with pie dough, and add the filling to just below the crust. Slice a fresh apple on the mandolin into thin slices, and layer the slices over the filling overlapping each other in a circle. Brush the sliced apples with butter, then bake at 350 degrees in a convection oven for 30 minutes, or until the apples on top are nicely browned and the crust is fully cooked.

To make the Wood Fire Embered Ice Cream:
1 quart half and half
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
12 egg yolks
10 ounces sugar

Combine half and half with split/scraped vanilla beans and its scrapings. Bring up to a simmer, then take off the heat. Combine the eggs and sugar in a stainless steel bowl and whisk until completely incorporated. Ladle the hot ice cream mixture into the yolk mixture one large ladle at a time, while whisking, to temper the egg yolks. Once half of the half & half mixture is added to the yolks, pour the yolk mixture back into the half & half, and whisk to combine. Cook to 185 degrees Fahrenheit, then cool over an ice bath. Once cool, make a fire with hickory wood and let it burn down so the logs are half of their original size. Put a 6 inch burning log into the cream and let steep overnight. Make sure you are using a stainless steel container and have proper ventilation because it will smoke! The next day, remove the log and strain the base with a fine mesh strainer. Churn according to your ice cream machine's directions.