Old-fashioned baked apples
A fall dessert that's not too sweet
I think it’s safe to say we’re about ready to dive headfirst into apple season. I can get so wrapped up thinking about apple cake and apple pie that I often forget how beautiful old-fashioned baked apples can be. They remind me of my great-grandmother, who always seemed to have an appropriate pie or dessert ready at any time and during any season.
These baked apples are not as sweet as other desserts, which why I like to make them. You can use green or red apples of any variety that you would use for a pie — just keep in mind that some are more tart than sweet.
Each apple gets baked with a few tablespoons of a brown sugar and oat topping. This is a very light topping that will spill out onto the plate once they apples are cut; it’s not as dense as a topping made with flour and nuts.
These apples are excellent plain or with a dollop of dairy or soy vanilla ice cream; I typically serve one half of one piece if I’m serving it with ice cream.
This recipe is gluten-free.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6 people
4 medium-sized apples
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
or
2 tablespoons solid coconut oil, at room temperature
½ cup rolled oats
2-3 tablespoons light brown sugar, gently packed
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
A dash of nutmeg
A pinch of kosher salt
Preheat your oven to 350 F and place the wire rack in the upper third.
Line a baking dish with parchment paper.
Combine butter, margarine or oil, oats and spices in a small bowl and mix well with a fork. Set aside.
Cut the top half-inch off each apple.
Score a square with a small knife from edge to edge. This helps guide you in cutting so that you don’t cut through the side of the apple accidentally.
Insert a knife inward and downward, until the shape inside is like an upside-down pyramid. Remove any loose seeds and stay away from the walls of the apple — they need to be strong to hold up during baking.
Use a small spoon to put one quarter of the filling into each apple.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, being careful not to overbake.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
You can make these a day in advance. Cover them with a lid or foil before rewarming.
Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC
Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh. She can be reached at rubia711@gmail.com.
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