Chinese Five Spice Caramel Apple Custard Recipes

APPLE SPICE CUSTARD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
• Stir in apples. Pour batter into well-greased and floured 13X9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick near center comes out clean.
• Combine sweetened condensed milk and sour cream in medium bowl; mix well. Stir in lemon juice. Remove cake from oven; spread sour cream mixture evenly over hot cake.
• Return to oven; bake 5 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with cinnamon (optional). Cool. Chill. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

CHINESE FIVE SPICE

Steps:

• In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, combine all ingredients (in batches if necessary); grind until mixture becomes a fine powder. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE POWDER

Steps:

• Mix the spices together and store in an airtight jar.

FIVE-SPICE APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For Crust:
• Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Add shortening; cut in using pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces. Mix in enough ice water by tablespoonfuls to form moist clumps. Gather dough. Divide into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic; chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• For Filling:
• Toss apples and lemon juice in large bowl. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add apples and brown sugar; cook until apples are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, return apples to same bowl. Boil juices in pot until thick, about 15 minutes. Pour juices over apples; cool completely. Mix in flour and five-spice powder.
• Position rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Place baking sheet on rack. Roll out larger dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish; trim overhang to 1 inch, if necessary. Spoon filling into crust. Roll out smaller dough disk to 10-inch round. Drape over filling. Press top and bottom edges of dough together; crimp decoratively. Cut small hole in center of crust. Brush crust with cream. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
• Place pie on baking sheet in oven; bake until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles thickly, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

CHINESE FIVE SPICE (MADE EASY)

Steps:

• NOTE: SOME FIVE-SPICE RECIPES WILL HAVE YOU TOAST THE WHOLE FENNEL AND STAR ANISE FIRST. YOU MAY DO THIS, BUT I GENERALLY PREFER NOT TO FOR A CLEAN, FRESH FLAVOR. HOWEVER, IF USING THE SPICE SPECIFICALLY FOR BARBECUED MEATS OR PHO SOUP, I RECOMMEND LIGHTLY TOASTING THEM FIRST IN A DRY SKILLET OVER MEDIUM HEAT FOR A SMOKY FLAVOR BEFORE THE FINAL GRINDING. YOU MAY SUBSTITUTE THE SZECHUAN PEPPERCORN WITH WHITE PEPPER, WHICH IS A POPULAR BLEND FOR USE IN CHINESE COOKERY. KEEP IN MIND -- "A LITTLE BIT OF FIVE SPICE POWDER GOES A LONG WAY". WHEN SEASONING FOODS, START WITH A SMALL AMOUNT, THEN ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
• MEASURE all ingredients into a clean spice mill or coffee grinder, whether whole or ground, using pre-ground cinnamon as the only exception: 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cloves, 1 tablespoon fennel, 1 tablespoon star anise, 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorn.
• GRIND mixture in a clean spice mill or coffee grinder in 15-30 second increments, until mixture is finely powderized.
• Store in an airtight container.
• Use measure-for-measure in any recipe calling for Chinese Five Spice powder.

FIVE-SPICE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Tear tangerine peel into pieces. Pulse peppercorns, star anise, cloves, and allspice to a coarse mixture in grinder.
• Combine cream, milk, tangerine peel, spices, and 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. With tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture, then drop in pod. Bring mixture just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
• Bring spiced milk to a simmer, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding spices and peel. Return to saucepan.
• Whisk whole egg and yolks with remaining 1/2 cup sugar in bowl until pale, then add hot spiced milk in a slow stream, whisking. Return to saucepan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Immediately strain custard through fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in rum and kosher salt.
• Chill custard at least 6 hours, then freeze in ice cream maker.