Asha Hertel

Asha Hertel of Asheville, N.C.  
North Carolina Apple Berry Dessert
 
Hertel attends Asheville High School, where she is an honors student and a member of the Culinary Club. Joining the club her sophomore year led her to sign up for classes, and she “fell in love with the pastry arts.”

Her recipe, originally submitted in the Taste of the States Dessert category consists of puff pastry spread with mascarpone cheese mousse covered by a pinwheel of poached apples, then crowned with a caramel star and complemented by fresh mint, blackberry, and vanilla sauces.

Simple Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
 
Method of Preparation
1. Add water and sugar into a 1-quart saucepan and place over medium heat.
2. Bring to a slow simmer; when bubbles become thick and slow, remove from heat and refrigerate for later use.
 
Caramel Star
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup water
 
Method of Preparation
1. Add the sugar and water to 1-quart saucepan; make sure all sugar is soaked in the water, and then place over medium flame.
2. Bring to a boil and continue until a golden brown (approx 11 minutes).
3. Once desired color, remove from heat and let cool until consistency of honey.
4. When thick as honey, take a spoon and dip into caramel and drizzle in somewhat straight lines in the shape of a 5-inch x 5-inch multipointed star on a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan
5. Leave at room temperature to carefully peel off when ready for use.
 
Poached Apples
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
4 cups apple juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 peeled Pink Lady apples
 
Method of Preparation
1. Add sugar, apple juice, lemon juice, vanilla, peppercorns, and bay leaf into a 2.75-quart saucepan and place on medium high heat until temperature becomes 160-185 degrees.
2. While liquid is heating, peel (don’t core) apples.
3. When temperature is reached, add apples and maintain temperature for 10 minutes or until fork tender.
4. Remove quickly with a slotted spoon, cut in half and put in refrigerator to stop the cooking process.
 
Cheese Mousse
Ingredients
2 egg whites (keep the yolks for the puff pastry, below)
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
 
Method of Preparation
1. To make meringue, separate eggs and put whites in a mixing bowl. Begin to mix on high. When whites begin to foam, slowly add sugar and continue to mix until stiff peaks are formed. Then put meringue in a separate bowl and refrigerate.
2. In a new mixing bowl, add cream and mix until soft peaks are formed. Then put mixture in a separate bowl and refrigerate.
3. In the cleaned mixing bowl, add cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Once fluffy, begin to fold in the whipped cream in thirds with a rubber spatula. Fold in meringue in the same manner.
5. Put in refrigerator for later use.
 
Puff Pastry
Ingredients
Unused egg yolks from mousse
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
10 x 10 sheet of puff pastry dough
1/8 cup flour
 
Method of Preparation
1. Use previous unused yolk and mix with heavy cream in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Get pastry dough and place on lightly floured table and roll out until 1/8 inch thick.
3. Cut out eight 4 and 3/4-inch circles out of dough
4. Then remove 4-inch circle from the center to form a hollow ring that is 3/4 inch wide.
5. Use a pastry brush to paint a thin layer of yolk mixture onto the whole circles. Place the ring on top of whole dough circles to form a shallow well, and paint a thin layer of yolk mixture on that as well.
6. Place on parchment paper cover half sheet pan and put in the 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.
 
Blackberry Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup simple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
 
Method of Preparation
1. Add berries to blender and mix with simple syrup and lemon juice and puree.
2. Run sauce through a chinois (strainer) into a 4-cup measuring cup and place into a squeeze bottle.
 
Mint Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups fresh mint leaves
1 cup simple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
 
Method of Preparation
1. Make sauce in same manner as Blackberry Sauce.
 
White Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon sour cream
1 and 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar
 
Method of Preparation
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate.
 
Glaze Ingredients
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons water
 
Method of Preparation
1. Put preserves and water into a saucepan and put over medium heat.
2. Simmer until preserves are dissolved and set aside to cool.