Honey Crunch Baked Apples

Baked apples are one of those old-school desserts that fell out of fashion and deserve a comeback. This one stuffs each cored apple with a crunchy filling of granola, chopped dates, and toasted almonds, bound with honey and warm spices. A honey-butter apple juice bath goes around the pan and turns into a glossy, caramelly syrup as the apples bake down.

Dates do real work here. As they bake inside the apple, they melt into a sticky toffee-like center that plays against the tart apple flesh. The granola stays crunchy on top even after the bake.

Basting during the second half of cooking is the step that makes or breaks this dessert. Every 10 minutes, spoon the pan juices back over the apples. That repeated lacquering is what gives them the deep amber shine.

Pro Tips

• Use firm baking apples like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Rome. Soft apples collapse into mush.
• Core the apples from the top but not all the way through. Leave a ½ inch plug at the bottom to hold the filling.
• Toast the almonds for a few minutes before chopping. Raw almonds taste flat.
• Do not skip the lemon juice in the filling. It keeps the dates and apples from going too sweet.

Variations

• Swap dates for dried cranberries or raisins for a tangier filling.
• Use maple syrup in place of honey for a deeper fall flavor.
• Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of cold cream.