Whole Baked Apples
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays are officially here. Yes, I’m that girl who is listening to Christmas tunes before Thanksgiving. I can’t help it. The entire season simply makes me happy - family and friends, gift giving, good food, and holiday decorations.
As a precursor to the season of apple pies a plenty, I made baked whole apples for dessert last weekend. Known as pommes au four in France, baked apples make for a great dessert after a meal. I also appreciate that they don’t require making a pie dough or consuming the extra calories. There’s something about highlighting the whole fruit as its own dessert versus slicing it into a pie or tart that feels deliciously rustic.
Making whole baked apples is about as easy as it gets. I put the apples in the oven while we’re eating dinner - about an hour before I want to serve dessert. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Top your warm baked apples with a small scoop of ice cream and sprinkle of cinnamon, and you have a festive treat that will please anyone at your table.
In terms of which apples to use, all of the usual favorites should do: Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn or Golden Delicious. I used Fuji apples and thought they worked well! They were firm, juicy, and held their shape after an hour in the oven. Regardless of the variety you choose, try to get apples that are fairly uniform in size and can stand up straight so they won’t topple over when cooking.
I’d allocate one apple per person. I also thought is was easier to use a teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop out the seeds instead of an apple corer. You’ll want to stop scooping about an inch from the bottom. I baked the apples for an hour, and they were soft but still held their shape. If you want your apples more mushy, bake them longer to your liking.
There are numerous ways you can fill your hollow apples. The foundation in most recipes you’ll find involve butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Then get creative! You can add oats, dried dates or raisins, and pecans or walnuts. I tend to prefer the less is more approach with my baked apples.
The holidays are a great time to try these whole baked apples. It’s simply delicious and simple to prepare. Wishing you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful start to the holiday season!
Whole Baked Apples
Ingredients
- 5 apples
- 5 tablespoons of butter, softened at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F
- Rinse and dry the apples.
- Slice the very top of the apple off with a knife, to cut off the small stem.
- Using a teaspoon measure spoon, scoop out the apple cores and seeds, stopping about an inch from the bottom of the apple.
- Place the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice in a small bowl and use a fork to combine, mixing the ingredients together.
- Put the apples in a baking dish and stuff each apple with the sugar mixture.
- Pour the water in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Bake at 375 F for 45-60 minutes until the apples are cooked through and tender, but not mushy. If you’d like them mushy continue to cook to your liking.
- Remove apples from the oven and baste them with juices from the baking dish. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
