Apple and Fig Napoleons with Red Wine ..

Cooking Instructions

1. To make the ice cream, place the milk and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisking rapidly, pour the milk into the yolk mixture. Pour the mixture back in the saucepan. Place over low heat, and stir constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; do not let mixture simmer. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the sour cream. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Store in freezer until shortly before serving.

2. To make the phyllo, preheat the oven to 375 F. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface, brush lightly with butter and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sugar. Top with another sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat once more. Trim the edges to make a 10 x 14-inch rectangle. Cut into eight 3-1/2 x 5-inch rectangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining phyllo, butter, and sugar. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. To make the sauce, combine the wine, sugar, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick in a large saucepan and simmer until liquid has been reduced to 1-1/3 cups, about 40 minutes. Strain and set aside.

4. To make the apples, combine the apples, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla bean, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, covered, for 8 minutes, stirring once. Uncover and simmer until apples are soft but not mushy, and some liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more. Remove the lemon zest and vanilla bean and set aside.

5. To make the fig spread, puree the figs in a food processor. Add the cream, Armagnac, and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Set aside.

6. To assemble, on each of 8 plates place 1 piece of phyllo, cover the pastry with some of the fig spread, and spoon the apple mixture over it. Spoon a pool Of the sauce beside the pastry on each plate. Lean 1 piece of phyllo over the sauce and against 1 of the longer edges of the plated phyllo. Repeat with all the plates. Place a scoop of ice cream beside the napoleons and sprinkle with a few strands of lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing(s)

Domaine Zind Humbrecht 'Clos Windsbuhl' Pinot Gris

Trimbach 'Cuvee Frederic Emile' Riesling

Georges Duboeuf Chardonnay

Duet Cream Sherry

Barton & Guestier Chardonnay

Mas Jaune Cuvee Jean-Philippe

Lucien Albrecht 'Vendange Tardive' Gewurztraminer

La Chapelle de la Bastide

Elderton Botrytis Semillon

Efrat Muscat Hamburg