VANILLA BAVARIAN CREAM WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES AND ALMOND CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Bavarian cream Pour the water into a small bowl. Sprinkle on the gelatin and let soften for 5 minutes. Set aside. With the tip of a knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds. In a saucepan , off the heat, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until smooth. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Add the vanilla seeds and pod. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom and corners of the saucepan, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 15 minutes. Add the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Let cool partially. Refrigerate until cool. Using a whisk, gently fold the whipped cream into the vanilla mixture and stir until smooth. Spoon the Bavarian cream mixture into eight 250-ml (1-cup) mason jars (approximately 125 ml/1/2 cup per jar). Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Caramelized apples In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar. Add the apple slices and cook until translucent and golden-brown. Transfer to a bowl. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate until completely cool, about 1 hour. Almond Crumble With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a food processor, coarsely chop the almonds with the flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse briefly until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir and continue baking for about 3 minutes more. Let cool completely. Note: Use the leftover almond crumble as a topping for fresh fruit or ice cream. Assembly Spoon the chilled apple slices onto the set Bavarian creams. Garnish with the crumble (about 30 ml/2 tablespoons per jar). Close the jar lids.