Baked apples are a dish that are particularly popular in the fall, or the harvest season. They are quite simple to make and are a lovely addition to almost any meal. In fact, they are unique in that they can go well with breakfast, lunch, or dinner meals.
To make baked apples, you will need a baking pan, apples, butter, brown sugar, and raisins. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to thoroughly wash your apples before you begin preparing them to be baked. Once they are washed, hollow the stem and seeds out of the apple using a small knife. Make sure not to completely hollow out the apple, leaving a hole that extends from the top to the bottom. Rather, the hole that you make should be a downward-pointing cone shape so that the top is open and the bottom is closed. If the hole extends all the way through the apple, the ingredients intended for the inside will fall out during the cooking process.
Now, line your apples up in your baking pan and add just a bit of water, about one quarter of an inch, to the bottom of the pan. Fill the core of the apples with raisins, a teaspoon or so of brown sugar, and top them off with a small pat of brown sugar. Your apples are ready to go in the oven. Cooking time should take between 30 and 40 minutes.
When baked apples are prepared correctly, they will no longer be crisp and can be eaten with a fork. However, if they are overcooked, they will become too soft and will not retain their shape. This makes them difficult to serve. However, if you accidentally overcook your baked apples, you can simply mash them in a food processor and enjoy a delicious applesauce.
Depending on your taste, you can add different ingredients to the inside of your baked apples. They are delicious with pecans or walnuts. Also, you can add dried cranberries or dried cherries into the mix. Furthermore, cinnamon is a wonderful spice to add to this dish. You can either add the cinnamon in with the brown sugar before baking, or dust it on top just before serving. Baked apples are delicious warm, cold, or a la mode. Also, they are a very healthy dessert as they are low in fat, sugar, and cholesterol.
