Baked Apples

Remember these?  Most everyone I know remembers baked apples from their childhood.  If it's been awhile since you had one, the cold winter months are the perfect time for them.

This is a really simple, basic recipe for baked apples as there are only four ingredients to it and you’re likely to have them on hand – apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.  It’s just about impossible to mess up!    

Ingredients:

4 large baking apples

½ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

butter (approximately 2 to 4 tablespoons)

½ cup boiling water

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Wash the apples and remove the cores down to approximately ½ inch from the bottom.  Be sure to remove all of the seeds. 

2.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.  Place the apples in an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Stuff each apple with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  You’ll have some left over.  Top with a dot of butter.

3.  Add boiling water to the pan and bake for approximately 30 – 40 minutes until the apples are tender but not mushy.  After approximately 20 minutes, the sugar and cinnamon mixture will have melted down.  Put the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture into the apples and bake another 10 – 20 minutes. 

The great thing about this recipe is that you can vary it in so many ways.  You can add raisins, dried cranberries, nuts, or other spices such as nutmeg.  

Although I haven’t tried all of the following variations, they sound delicious. 

Apple sauce or apple juice can be used instead of water.

Sprinkle carmelized pecans on top of ice cream served on the side.     

Caramel sauce – add cornstarch and vanilla to the water in the bottom of the baking dish.  Core the apples all the way through to the bottom so that the brown sugar and butter will leak out.  When the apples are done cooking, whisk together the sauce. 

If you like your apples on the tart side, you can use green apples.