Baked Apples With Cherries & Almonds
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Whole baked apples cored and stuffed with dried cherries, chopped almonds, cinnamon, and brown sugar, then baked in apple juice and honey until fork-tender. A rustic fall dessert lighter than pie but just as comforting.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
8 minCOOK
60 minREADY
78 minAn old-fashioned fall dessert that lets the apple itself be the star. Golden Delicious apples cored from the top and stuffed with dried cherries, chopped almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a touch of nutmeg bake in an apple juice and honey bath until the flesh turns soft and fragrant.
Golden Delicious are the pick here because they hold their shape through an hour in the oven where McIntosh or Cortland would collapse into applesauce. Core each apple from the stem end but stop three-quarters of an inch from the bottom, so the cavity holds the filling instead of leaking it into the pan.
A foil cover keeps the apples tender and prevents the stuffing from drying out. After about an hour at 350°F (175°C), the juice, honey, and a drizzle of walnut oil reduce in the pan to a light, floral syrup that gets spooned back over the apples at the table. Serve warm with a little sharp cheddar or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Pro Tips
- Chop the dried cherries coarsely, not finely. Whole pieces keep their chew and concentrate flavor in the filling.
- Peel the apples in alternating rings for a striped look that holds up after baking. It takes an extra two minutes and looks beautiful on the plate.
- Use a melon baller or dedicated apple corer that leaves the base intact. A standard corer often goes all the way through and spills the filling.
- Check at the 50-minute mark. Apples are done when a knife slides into the flesh without resistance.
Variations
- Swap cherries for dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped figs for different fruity notes.
- Use chopped pecans or hazelnuts instead of almonds for a different nut profile.
- Drizzle heavy cream over the top at the table for a richer finish, or serve with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In a small bowl, toss together the cherries, almonds, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Set aside.
The apples can be left unpeeled, if you like.
To peel the apples in a decorative fashion, with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, remove the peel from each apple in a circular motion, skipping every other row so that rows of peel alternate with rows of apple flesh.
Working from the stem end, core each apple, stopping ¾ inch from the bottom.
Divide the cherry mixture evenly among the apples, pressing the mixture gently into each cavity.
Arrange the apples upright in a heavy ovenproof frying pan or small baking dish just large enough to hold them.
Pour the apple juice and water into the pan.
Drizzle the honey and oil evenly over the apples, and cover the pan snugly with aluminum foil.
Bake until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.
Transfer the apples to individual plates and drizzle with the pan juices.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
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