About this time of year I start to really crave sweet things after dinner. Ok I crave them all year round but maybe it’s just I give in a lot more easily when it gets dark and cold…
This is a happy medium, I get something sweet but it’s an apple, so it’s obviously healthy – right? Ok so it’s an apple filled with brown sugar, sultanas, nuts and the tiniest hint of butter. But it is AH-MAZ-ING. You need to try this.
There are a million variations you could try with the basic recipe. I can see a Mincemeat one for Christmas, a puff pastry wrapped one, a date stuffed one, crumble toppings, I could go on, and on…
I usually just make two, one for each of us, but the great thing about this recipe is that it would be super easy to scale up. Perfect for autumnal entertaining. Although if I was serving at a dinner party I would be slightly less virtuous and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Baked Apples
~ makes enough for 6, can easily be divided.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: up to 1 hour
- 100 grams of sultanas
- 4 walnuts, diced fine.
- 50 ml whisky, although other alcohols like brandy or sherry would do.
- 50 grams of unsalted butter, room temp.
- 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar.
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- 6 eating apples, I used Cox (don’t use Bramley apples as they will disintegrate).
Find a deep oven-proof dish that will fit all the apples. In a bowl add the sultanas, walnuts and whisky. Leave to macerate for about an hour.
After an hour mix the fruit into the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Core the apples, removing the seeds. If they are unsteady in the dish use a sharp knife to flatten the bottom.
Fill the cored apples with the fruit mixture, cover with foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Baste the apples with the juices and put back into the oven for the last 15 minutes cooking time.
Serve, although remember these will be boiling hot!