Baked Stuffed Apples with Raisins and Cinnamon Recipe
It’s winter in Brooklyn (at last). Straight from the oven, the tender, fruit-filled baked apples seethe with heat. Let them settle for five minutes before serving. Photography by Marie Viljoen. Pillowy and tender, spiced baked apples are instant comfort. Local apples are in season from fall (fresh-picked) through spring (stored). Their flavor and fluffiness feed our feelings in a healthier way than many comfort foods can. Macoun apples are excellent for baking, as they stay intact during baking. Sweetly tart Braeburn apples hold their shape well. Some of the best apples for baking are Braeburn, Cortland, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Winesap. Pink Lady apples are lightly tart after baking. Making the case for an apple corer? There is only one fiddly aspect to stuffing and baking apples whole: removing the core. Assembling the stuffing—dried figs, organic sugar, lemon juice. Once the apples are cored, all that remains is to add your filling to their hollows. Apples: Ready to bake, scented with fir. Dried figs are honey-sweet and very high in fiber. Spicebush from Integration Acres is $5 for 1 ounce. A quarter tablespoon of butter per apple is enough to create a caramelized sauce in the dish. Rest baked apples for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 (or 2, for several days). The saucy combination of lemon and sugar with butter ensures that each mouthful delivers mild apple goodness... ...sweet dried fruit, and that rich, coating syrup. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a baking dish or line one with baking parchment. At the 45-minute mark, spoon or baste any liquid in the bottom of the baking dish over and into the apples.