Apple Crisp & Pumpkin Spice Gelato

On the menu today I have this crispy spiced and tender apple crisp topped with a pumpkin spice gelato and a ridiculously easy caramel sauce to finish. And to be honest, this recipe will definitely have you thinking twice about bringing that traditional apple pie to your next holiday gathering. Ingredients will be in the description box below if you want to follow along. Now let's get into it. First up on the prep list is the pumpkin spice gelato. So get a smaller pumpkin, such as an autumn gold variety. Remove the seeds and slice it into relatively thick wedges. Place the sliced pumpkin onto a baking tray topped with brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. Then bake them in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until lightly caramelized and tender. Once the pumpkins are roasted, get a small pot on medium heat and add in a 2 to 1 mixture of milk to cream to the pot along with the brown sugar and half of a vanilla pod. Add in the roasted pumpkin and give this a really good mash in order to release the caramelized pumpkin into the cream. Bring this mixture up to 150 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Then temper in a small amount of the base into an egg yolk. Then mix that into the hot cream to give the gelato base a little bit of stability. Strain this mixture and let it cool down in the fridge until it reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit. While that is cooling down, it's time to prep the apples. I prefer crispy apples such as honey crisp in just about all of my apple recipes but red delicious apples can work for this if you like a less structured texture after cooking. Nonetheless, peel the skins off, cut them into wedges, and place them into a mixing bowl with powdered sugar, flour, cinnamon, and some fresh lemon juice. Then you're going to give the apples a really good mix until everything has been absorbed. Next, get a pan on medium to high heat and brown a little bit of butter in it before you add in the apples. Once the apples are in, add in some vanilla. Here I'm using an old spent pod to make good use of my pantry but vanilla extract or paste will work just fine. Cook the apples for about 10 minutes on medium heat until the mixture has thickened and if you want to add in a little water or apple juice for a juicier mixture, you're more than welcome. Now it's time to make the crisp topping. Pour out the whole rolled oats onto a cutting board and give them a rough chop but you can leave them whole if you like. I just feel that the chopped oats give the topping a flakier texture. Add the oats to a mixing bowl along with the flour, brown sugar, and cold diced butter. Then you're to give this a good mix with your hands or a pastry blender until you have a flaky textured topping that has a few good chunks here and there. Once that's all done, you're going to add the apples to a baking tray, cover the cooked apples with the crisp topping, and bake this in an oven that's set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the apples are tender and the topping is a crispy golden brown. Once that is baking away in the oven, you're going to remove the gelato base from the fridge, pour it into your handy dandy ice cream maker, and churn this on low speed until it thickens up to a thick whipped cream like consistency. After the gelato is finished churning, place it in the freezer to set up a little bit more before using. Now it's time for that super duper easy caramel sauce trick that I mentioned during the intro. Here all I did was boil a can of sweetened condensed milk for about three hours and this is the result that you get. A perfect caramel sauce that works for a myriad of sweet applications from apples to chocolate and everything in between. Just make sure you give it a good mix after you take it out of the can for a nice smooth texture. At this time the apple crisp should be ready to go so remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. When it's time to serve this up, take a spoonful or two of the apple crisp and place it into a small serving bowl along with a fresh scoop of that homemade pumpkin spice gelato. Then top all of that with a really good drizzling of the caramel to finish. This dessert, if all made from scratch, definitely takes a little bit of prep work and time to assemble but will be something to remember on every holiday or just during the colder months for years to come. I absolutely promise you that. If you enjoyed this recipe, please make sure you hit that like and share button to spread the culinary love far and wide especially ahead of the fall season. Drop a comment letting me know your thoughts on this dish or if you have any future video requests. I will see you guys next time with another recipe and in the meantime, stay creative in the kitchen. Later everybody!