Baked Apples Recipe

Baked apples are an old-fashioned sort of dessert - warm and comforting and sweet - and they are so easy to make! That they make you house smell heavenly while they bake is just another plus...

Baked Apples

• 1 large apple per person (you can bake 4-6 apples in a pie pan)
• 1 tsp - 1 Tbs raisins per person (to taste - some folks like more raisins than others!)
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon (add more to taste)
• pinch allspice
• pinch cardamom
• 1 pat butter per apple 
• Approx 1/3 cup Brown sugar, total amount
• 2/3 cup apple juice - or water with lemon in a pinch!

Core the apples almost all the way thru, leaving some apple on the bottom to make a sort of "cup".  If you do not have an apple corer, a melon-baller will do the job nicely (don't ask me how I know!). 

Place the apples in a pie pan or a baking dish (NOTE - this is a recipe that creates a syrup from the apples and sugar and juice - do not use a cookie sheet or you will have a mess on your hands!)

Spoon raisins, spices to taste, and 1 tsp of the brown sugar into each apple. Place a pat of butter on the top of each apple. I popped a cinnamon stick into each apple because they looked cute. Pour the juice into the bottom of the pan, and gently stir in the remaining brown sugar.

Apples all ready to go into the oven!

Cover carefully with foil, and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Carefully uncover the apples (hot steam warning!), test to see if tender. They may need to bake for as much as 15 minutes longer - but do so uncovered. 

Serve with the syrup form the pan spooned over the apples. Delicious additions we sometimes like to spoon into the dish are cream, vanilla ice cream, or English custard. 

I have to choose a less saucy apple next time!