
I have been baking apples with spices and grass-fed butter for years. We find baked apples with cider to be delicious and sweet without added sweetener. These are a wonderful standalone treat, but can also be topped with ice cream or whipped coconut cream to increase the decadence!
Ingredients:
6 baking apples, preferably firm ones like Fuji, Gala, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith
¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar, or ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup per apple
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
â…› teaspoon ground nutmeg
â…› teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6ths
1½ cups apple cider
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
Using the smaller side of a melon baller or a sharp-edged measuring teaspoon, core the apples, leaving the bottom ½ inch of the apples intact. (Do not use an apple corer, as it's hard to prevent the corer from going all the way through the apples.)
In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
Place the apples in a 2 to 2.5-qt baking dish (they should fit snugly). Spoon the spice mixture (with brown sugar, if using) evenly into the apples. For maple syrup option, add ½ tablespoon maple syrup per apple after spices. Top each apple with a chunk of butter.
In a liquid measuring cup, combine the apple cider (or juice), and lemon juice. Pour around the apples. The liquid should come about 3/4 inch up the sides of the baking dish. Add more cider if necessary.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the apples are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Let cool for a few minutes, then carefully transfer the apples (and some of the cooking juices, if you like) to serving bowls. Optional, top with ice cream or whipped coconut cream.
This recipe is a modified version from Once Upon a Chef.
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