The Autumn and Winter seasons are easy to wish away. I miss the long evenings, the warm sun breaking through the clouds and all the birds whose chirping I only seem to notice when it isn’t there anymore. They had the right idea. They left for warmer lands. However this year I am really trying to savour the winter for what it is. Yes it’s cold, but that’s the perfect time to snuggle up on the sofa, wear a onesie (errr yes, I love my onesie and I’m not ashamed) and light my favourite scented candles. We can find beauty in the gloominess outside. Without shedding their leaves the trees wouldn’t bloom again so enjoy this season of restoration.
Ooof… was that all a bit deep for a food blog? Nevermind.
Today I have for you, not one, but four different recipes! Ok so it’s really just four variations on one classic favourite, but they are all SO different I think we can count it as four! Baked apples are a perfect option if you are craving something warm and hearty, but also easy and healthy.
The four different fillings can completely transform the apples into totally different desserts depending on what you fancy. Clockwise from the top left we have “The Pecan Pie Apple”, “The Berry Crumble Apple”, “The Traditional Baked Apple with Almond” and “The After Dinner Cheese and Apple”.
These apples will be stuffed to the brim with beautiful fillings, then baked until puffy and soft. It is the ultimate comfort food and the kind that will fill your house with the smell of warm apple pie, lingering well beyond the time you eat these beauties.
Once stuffed, the apples’ little hats are put back on (or the crumble topping if you are making “The Berry Crumble”). This is for two reasons. One, it stops any of the filling catching and burning in the oven, and two, why waste the top of the apple when we can have even more squidgy goodness?
Once baked, all of these apples transform into sweet, sticky, hearty desserts, each with their own personality. I really feel like I could name them… but I won’t start naming apples…
If desired, drizzle with a little more honey or maple syrup and enjoy!
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Baked Apples – Four Ways
Yield: The quantities given in each of the recipes are for 1 apple. Multiply the ingredients by however many apples you are making.
The Pecan Pie Apple
Ingredients
1 Green Apple
1 Tbsp Pecan Nuts (about 4 nuts)
1 Square of soft Caramel or Fudge
1/4 Tsp sugar
1/2 Tsp maple syrup
Small pinch of Sea Salt
The Berry Crumble Apple
Ingredients
1Â Red Apple
4 Raspberries
1/2 Tsp Lemon Zest
1/2 Medjool Date (optional but nice!)
1/2 Tsp Honey
Crumble Topping – Quantity for 2 apples
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Caster Sugar
The Traditional Baked Apple with Almond
Ingredients
1Â Green Apple
1 Tsp Raisins
1 Square of soft Caramel or Fudge
Small pinch of Cinnamon
Small pinch of Nutmeg
Small pinch of Ginger
1/2 Tsp Maple Syrup
Flaked Almonds for topping
The After Dinner Cheese and Apple
Ingredients
1 Red Apple
5-6 small cubes of Camembert Cheese
1Â Dried Apricot finely chopped
1 Tsp Honey
Steps – Applies for all apples. Pick which one(s) you want to make and multiply the recipe above by the number of apples you are making.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
1. Prepare the ingredients for the filling in a small bowl. If the recipe you are using includes honey or maple syrup, leave this out at this stage.
2. Core the apple with an apple corer, chop about 1/2 inch of the bottom of the core off and put it back into the bottom of the apple. This will act as a plug and stop the filling falling out the bottom during baking. Chop the top of the apple off (about a 1/2 inch thick slice) and set aside. We will use this part again during baking. Scoop out a bit more of the flesh from the remaining apple so you have a cavity about 2 inches across in the middle of the apple for the filling to sit in. Just make sure the plug in the bottom still fits.
3. Put the filling into the cavity you made in the apple. Add the honey or maple syrup at this point if needed. If you are making the Berry Crumble Apple, add the crumble topping, if you are making any of the others, place the circle you cut off the top of the apple back on top. This will protect any of the filling from being burnt in the oven.
4. Place the apples into an ovenproof dish and bake for 35-40 minutes until the apples are soft.
5. Serve immediately. The apples will not keep and are best eaten straight away (although let them cool down a bit!)
