If you can manage to save one, there's nothing like a cold baked apple for breakfast, topped with a dollop of vanilla yogurt or served in a pool of fresh cold milk. The best part is the nut-and-fruit mixture nestled in the apple's core. Don't be surprised if the apples split a little—or sometimes even a lot—as they bake. It's going to happen sooner or later. You can, however, increase the odds that it won't if you use Golden Delicious apples. They may not be the most exotic apples around, but they have pretty good flavor and hold their shape better than most apples do in the oven. Another trick: score the apple along the circumference, as described below, to create a sort of fault line where it can expand, lessening the likelihood of a split elsewhere. Makes 6 servings ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 35 minutes EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate 6 medium Golden Delicious apples 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a shallow 8-by-12-inch (or similar) baking dish with cooking spray. 2. Core apples all the way through with an apple corer, making a 1-inch-wide hole. Peel the upper third of each apple. Using a sharp paring knife, score the flesh about 1/4 inch deep around the circumference, more or less where the peeled and unpeeled areas meet. With the paring knife angled down, cut a shallow crater around the top of the hole to help hold the preserves that will go there. Set aside while you make the filling. 3. Place walnuts, raisins (or dried cranberries) and coconut (if using) in a food processor. Chop the mixture fairly well, but not too fine; you want it to remain somewhat textured. Add syrup, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg; pulse several times to combine. 4. Place the apples in the prepared baking dish and gently press 1/4 cup filling into each cavity. Spoon a generous tablespoon of preserves onto the crater of each apple. 5. Combine cider and butter in a small saucepan; heat over low heat until the butter has melted. 6. Cover the apples loosely with tented foil and bake on the center rack for 30 minutes. Remove foil and baste the apples well. Continue to bake, uncovered, for 20 to 35 minutes more (depending on the size of the apples), basting every 10 minutes, until the apples are tender throughout. The best way to test them is with a thin bamboo skewer; the slightest bit of resistance near the center is OK because they'll finish cooking as they cool. Let the apples cool right in the pan, basting periodically. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold, with some of the pan juices spooned over each. |
Baked Apples with Dried Fruits & Walnuts Free Healthy Recipes
Labels: Healthy Dessert
