Every fall, our family travels to the East End to pick apples. We always choose to pick a peck of apples, which amounts to roughly thirty apples. After many years of apple picking with my family, I should know by now that is a lot of apples to consume! Luckily, I’m always up to the challenge of finding something to make with all our haul.
In the past, I’ve made Apple Jam, Apple Bread, and Dutch Babies – really anything I can make using apples. Surprisingly, one recipe that I have never made, are baked apples. My children absolutely love apples and sweet baked apples would be a tasty treat for them. Apple slices are packed in their lunch bags every day, and apples are also enjoyed as an after-school snack. They love their apple slices dipped in nut butter, or served with sharp cheddar cheese. With so much apple eating going on around here, I find it funny that we’ve never tried them baked.
Although apple picking season on Long Island is far behind us now, apples are readily available from cold storage all winter long. For enthusiastic apple lovers like my kids, this means that they can enjoy crisp apples every day of the winter. Apples are a great fruit to snack on until Long Island’s fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables are abundant once again.
This past weekend after a long hike with our dog, when we returned home my kids exclaimed that they were “absolutely famished”. Dinner was still a long way off and they were pleading for something sweet. I had my refrigerator stocked with crisp Gala apples and decided it would be the perfect time to attempt making baked apples.
The result was warm, sweet and truly delicious. I knew I could deem baked apples a success as I watched my kids wholeheartedly devour every bite. Next time I make this I plan to serve it a la mode for dessert. If you have never tried baked apples before, I encourage you to try them – they’re delicious!
I recommend using a variety that holds its shape well when baked (we used Gala, but see Woodside Farms helpful chart for more ideas) and then just stuff them full of all sorts of good things – cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins, apricot preserves – the possibilities are endless!
Baked Apples
Ingredients:
- 2 apples, sliced in half and cored
- 1/4 cup diced walnuts
- 1/4 raisins
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Cinnamon sugar, for dusting on top
Directions:
Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Spoon out the centers of the apples to make a pocket. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Divide toppings among the apple halves and pack into the pockets.
Step 3: Bake for 20 minutes uncovered. Tent the apples loosely with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
