Bourbon Baked Apples

with Apricots, Pecans and Caramel Pecan Candy

Apples… some of my earliest food memories are of apples. As a toddler I was mesmerized by the shiny red globes dancing among the leaves of the apple tree, seemingly held aloft by an unseen force. Apple sauce, my childhood favorite beginning in infancy, was made by my mother by some magical process atop the stove, transforming those glorious red apples into deliciousness. My mother’s way was to mildly spice with nutmeg and to push through a food mill. The result, a slightly pink apple sauce, smooth and delicious with just a little sugar. Apple pies with double crust, apple cakes and apple crisp all were easy favorites, whichever on the table was my favorite at the time.

Another apple recipe I liked, was baked stuffed apples. Simply made by coring the apples, fill the center with raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon, bake until fragrant and cooked through. I enjoy baking apples when I want something that’s easy to prepare, no dessert guilt and that allows for experimentation.

Different varieties of apples change the character of the finished product as they vary in cooking time, sweetness or tart. I find that firmer winter varieties work best; Ida Red, Rome, Mutsu, Fuji and even Yellow Delicious. A seemingly endless combination of fillings depend on what I have on hand. Pretty much any dried fruit or berry combined with nuts or seeds, butter or coconut oil. Brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, honey and agave can be sweeteners. A little cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are my usual choices but coriander, cardamom and allspice will work as well.

So, here we go with this week’s recipe for baked apples which is beyond basic but not difficult to put together. Serves 4

BOURBON BAKED APPLES
With Apricots, Pecans and Caramel Pecan Candy

Ingredients for the baked apples:

• 4 good sized apples

• 1/2 cup unsulfured dried apricots, chopped

• 1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons Bourbon whiskey, divided

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 1 tablespoon candied ginger, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 cup apple cider

• heavy cream for service

• pinch Maldon salt, or other large flake salt to finish

Method:

• with a melon baller, scoop out the core of the apples and a little bit more to accommodate the filling

• in a bowl, mix the apricots, pecans, 2 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons of the whiskey

• stuff as much of the filling as will fit in each of the apples and place the filled apples in a baking dish or pie plate. Top the apples with any left over filling and pour the cider into the bottom of the dish along with the last tablespoon of whiskey and butter

• bake the apples in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature

Ingredients for the caramel pecan candy:

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup pecan halves

• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Method:

• place the sugar, water and cream of tartar in a small sauce pan over medium heat

• stir to combine, then cook until it turns amber and reaches a temperature of 290 degrees F on a candy thermometer

• carefully add the pecans, stir to combine and then turn out onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Let cool completely before handling

• bust up or chop the candy into bite sized pieces and reserve

For Service:

• place the apples in individual serving bowls

• divide the cider sauce from the baking dish equally

• pour a tablespoon or two of heavy cream around the bottom of the bowls

• top each serving with some of the candied pecans and sprinkle with just a touch of Maldon salt

A little different approach for baked apples but I’m sure that you’ll find that the extra effort is worth every bite. Enjoy!