Baked Apples with Walnut-Oat Filling

Ingredients

• 4 large firm apples (Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Braeburn)
• 0.3 cups walnuts or pecans, chopped
• 0.3 cups rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons soaking liquid (cider, Calvados or bourbon)
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar or maple syrup
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom
• 2 pinch fine salt
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries or chopped dates (optional)
• 0.8 cups fresh apple cider
• 4 tablespoons crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Description

Whole apples baked in cider, with a lightly sweetened walnut, oat and brown butter filling.

Best with apples like Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Braeburn

Directions

Prep oven and apples: Heat the oven to 375°F. Core the apples with a melon baller or paring knife, leaving the bottom ½ inch intact so the filling stays in. Widen the cavity to about 1¼ inches. Score a shallow ring around each apple's equator so the skin doesn't split. Cut the core out of the flesh you removed and dice what's left.
Soak the oats: Soak the oats in the soaking liquid for 10 minutes. If you're using dried fruit, soak it with the oats.
Make the filling: Mash together the nuts, soaked oats, diced apple, sugar or maple syrup, butter, spice, salt and dried fruit until clumpy.
Fill and pan: Pack the filling into the apples, mounding any extra on top. Set them in a snug baking dish and pour the cider around them.
Bake: Bake uncovered, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes, until a skewer slides in easily but the apples still hold their shape. (45 minutes)
Reduce and serve: Let them rest for 10 minutes. If the pan juices are thin, simmer them in a small pan until syrupy. Spoon the syrup over the apples and serve with crème fraîche or ice cream.

Notes

Skip McIntosh and Red Delicious because they collapse in the oven. Cooking time depends heavily on the apple, so start checking at 35 minutes. Add a dab of miso to the butter for a salty-caramel note.