Baked Apples in 30 minutes

Four ingredients, one baking dish, and dessert is basically done. Core a few tart Granny Smith apples, pack the hollow with brown sugar and butter, dust with cinnamon, and let the oven handle the rest.

The trick is leaving the bottom of each apple intact when you core it, so it forms a little cup. As it bakes, the brown sugar and butter melt together and bubble into a caramel syrup that pools inside instead of running out into the pan. Tart Granny Smiths are the right pick; they soften without collapsing and balance all that sweetness.

Pull them when the skins wrinkle and a knife slides in easily, then spoon the buttery caramel from the centers back over the top. Serve warm. It’s the fastest way I know to make the whole kitchen smell like fall.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t core all the way through, or the caramel leaks out the bottom and burns onto the dish.
• Use firm baking apples; soft varieties turn to applesauce before the sugar caramelizes.
• A splash of water in the dish keeps the syrup from scorching if your oven runs hot.
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream so it melts into the caramel.

Variations

• Tuck raisins, chopped nuts, or a spoonful of oats in with the sugar for more texture.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg or a drizzle of maple syrup.