I seriously wonder why I buy cooking magazines. I constantly find fault with them, the ones I get are often pretentious as hell. and there are rarely recipes I want to make. On top of the pretentious list is Saveur. It’s the little things like telling people to ask for some vine cuttings at their local vineyard to make Quail Grilled over Vine Cuttings with Tapenade Toasts, because Lulu would never think of grilling over anything but aromatic vine cuttings... Really.

So here I am reading this, shaking my head and realizing I really don’t want to know any of these people, and lo and behold, a recipe appears that, unlike the Tomatoes Stuffed with Foie Gras, Duck Confit, and Chanterelles or Pike Quenelles with Sauce Nantua, actually sounded intriguing – a Baked Apple Terrine with Calvados. It definitely got my attention since I do like apples and I do like cooking with liquor. The recipe sounded like it was made just for me!

The concept was quite easy and straightforward – cook apples in butter, cool, and then mix in eggs and bake. I could do that!

In fact, I did!

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And this, boys and girls, is a keeper. Sweet, tart, custardy, caramely, and gooey – all of my favorite things in a dessert. And it really took no time, at all.

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Baked Apple Terrine with Calvados

Adapted from Saveur Magazine

  • 8 tbsp butter
  • 3 lbs sweet-tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1⁄4 cup calvados
  • 8 large eggs

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add two-thirds of the apples, 2/3 cup sugar, and the lemon juice, and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples caramelize and break down into a chunky applesauce, about 30 minutes.

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Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the calvados and salt, and let cool completely.

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Meanwhile, combine 13 cup sugar with the eggs and whip until the eggs are thickened and pale – 3 to 4 minutes.

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And preheat oven to 325°F (165°C) and butter a 2 quart baking dish.

Mix the eggs with the cooled apples…

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and pour into the buttered casserole. Top with the remaining 1/3 of the diced apples.

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– I sprinkled 2 tbsp demerara sugar on top instead of broiling it like the recipe states – and bake for about 35 minutes.

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Let cool and enjoy with whipped cream, if desired.

Let’s hear it for pretentious!

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It really was easy to pull together and really came out good. One recipe out of a whole magazine isn’t exactly great odds, but, I only have a couple more issues left of this thing…

Then it will be another magazine I can belittle.