Applesauce Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Bourbon Sabayon

Fall is apple picking, brisk air, a warm fire, spice… My humble cupcakes were inspired by those
things I love best about the season. The applesauce cake is moist and tender, with delicate spice. It
marries beautifully with the richness of the brown sugar Sabayon. The Bourbon Lace Crunch adds
a dimension of texture ~ a light buttery crunch that takes the experience to another dimension.

3 cups flour
1 scant teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup oil
3 eggs
23.5 oz. Applesauce
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Bourbon Sabayon
Bourbon Lace Crunch, for garnish

Sift together flour, cinnamon, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of standing mixture, beat eggs, sugar, and oil until pale yellow.

Add dry ingredients, applesauce, sour cream and vanilla to the egg mixture and beat on low, just to
combine.

Using a standard ice-cream scoop, portion batter into lined muffin tin.
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For the Sabayon Cream:

4 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
¼ cup heavy cream, plus 1cup cream
16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 Tablespoons good bourbon
½ vanilla bean, scraped
3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined.
Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow. Scrape down bowl with rubber
spatula. Add ¼ cup heavy cream and beat at medium speed until just combined. Scrape bowl.

Set bowl with yolks over medium saucepan containing 1 inch of gently simmering water; cook,
constantly scraping along bottom and sides of bowl with heatproof rubber spatula, until mixture coats
back of spoon and registers 160 on an instant-read thermometer (4-7 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir vigorously to cool slightly, then set aside to cool to room temperature.

Transfer tempered egg mixture into bowl of large food processor. Add cream cheese, bourbon, and
vanilla bean scrapings. Process till smooth. Scrape down sides with rubber spatula. Process another
few seconds.

In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat 1 cup cream at medium speed until frothy. Add
brown sugar. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks. On medium-
low speed, add cream cheese mixture ½ cup at a time. When all the cream cheese mixture has been
added, increase to medium high, and beat till cream peaks. Remove to medium bowl, cover and chill.

For the Bourbon Lace Crunch:

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup butter
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon Molasses
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ finely processed pecans
2 Tablespoons good bourbon

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter,
corn syrup and molasses. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir in flour, ground pecans and bourbon.

Pour on to lined baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon or offset spatula, spread batter evenly to
approx. ¼ thick (do not spread to the edges of the pan, as batter will expand).

Cook approximately 15 minutes, or until bubbly and medium-dark brown. Remove from oven and allow to
cool completely.

When lace cookie has cooled, break into smaller pieces and place in a large Ziploc bag. Crush cookie
into small bits. You can use your hands or a rolling pin. Set aside until ready to garnish cupcakes.