📝 About This Recipe
This timeless dessert captures the essence of a cozy autumn evening, featuring tender, oven-roasted apples that become naturally syrupy as they bake. Each fruit is hollowed and stuffed with a rich, buttery mixture of plump raisins, toasted pecans, and warming spices that infuse the flesh from the inside out. It is a rustic yet elegant finale to any meal, celebrating the simple harmony of fruit, spice, and heat.
🥗 Ingredients
The Apples
- 4 large Honeycrisp or Braeburn Apples (firm and uniform in size)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice (to prevent browning)
The Spiced Filling
- 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (plump and seedless)
- 1/4 cup Pecans (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar (packed)
- 2 tablespoons Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (for texture)
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
- 1 pinch Kosher Salt (to balance sweetness)
Roasting Liquid
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider (unfiltered)
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup (pure Grade A)
- 1 piece Cinnamon Stick
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.
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2
Wash and dry the apples. Using a sharp paring knife or an apple corer, remove the core from each apple, stopping about half an inch from the bottom to create a 'well' for the filling.
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3
Use a small spoon to widen the cavity to about 1 inch in diameter, ensuring you remove all the tough seeds and membrane.
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4
Lightly brush the exposed interior of the apples with lemon juice to keep the flesh bright and prevent oxidation.
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5
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the golden raisins, chopped pecans, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
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6
Add the softened butter to the dry mixture. Use a fork or your fingers to work the butter into the ingredients until it forms a crumbly, cohesive paste.
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7
Divide the filling equally among the four apples, packing it firmly into the centers. It is okay if the filling mounds slightly over the top.
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8
Place the stuffed apples into a glass or ceramic baking dish that fits them snugly without them touching each other.
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9
In a small measuring cup, whisk together the apple cider and maple syrup, then pour it into the bottom of the baking dish.
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10
Add the cinnamon stick to the liquid in the pan to infuse the roasting juices with extra aroma.
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11
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. To check for doneness, pierce the side of an apple with a paring knife; it should slide in easily with no resistance.
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12
Every 15 minutes during baking, use a spoon to baste the apples with the cider juices from the bottom of the pan.
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13
Once the skins have slightly wrinkled and the filling is bubbling, remove the dish from the oven.
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14
Let the apples rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to thicken and the centers to set.
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15
Transfer each apple to a shallow bowl and drizzle generously with the concentrated pan juices.
💡 Chef's Tips
Choose 'baking apples' like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Jonagold; softer varieties like McIntosh will turn to mush. Do not cut all the way through the bottom of the apple, or the delicious filling and juices will leak out during roasting. If the tops start to brown too quickly before the apple is tender, tent the dish loosely with aluminum foil. For an extra plump texture, soak the raisins in warm water or dark rum for 10 minutes before mixing the filling. Use a vegetable peeler to remove a thin strip of skin from around the top circumference of the apple to prevent the skin from bursting.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with a large scoop of premium vanilla bean ice cream for a classic contrast. Drizzle with a spoonful of cold heavy cream or crème fraîche to balance the sweetness. Pair with a glass of warm mulled cider or a late-harvest Riesling dessert wine. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and an extra sprinkle of toasted walnuts for a lighter, breakfast-style treat. Add a final dusting of flaky sea salt over the top to enhance the caramel notes of the brown sugar.