" Barber's" Baked Apples

Another fine recipe from James Barber... A perfect "warm-me-up" dessert after an afternoon of tobogganing or skiing. HINT: Use large, crisp baking apples... You could use maple syrup instead of the brown sugar, figs or chopped dates instead of the raisins or white wine or apple cider instead of the apple juice. * McIntosh apples are not recommended in this recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6 apples

Ingredients

• 6  apples
• 6  tablespoons butter
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  coarsely-chopped pecans or 1⁄2 cup walnuts
• 1⁄2 cup golden raisin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1  pinch salt
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1  cup  apple juice

• TOPPING

• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For topping combine packed brown sugar with softened butter and set aside.
3. Core apples almost to bottom, leaving the base intact.
4. With the point of the knife, cut through just the skin of the apple, all the way round the middle; make a very shallow cut.
5. Soften butter.
6. In a bowl, combine butter and brown sugar.
7. Stir in nuts, raisins, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice.
8. Pack the mixture into the cored apples, pushing down well. Leave a mound, about a teaspoon in size, on top of each apple.
9. Place apples in an 8 by 11-inch baking dish. Pour apple juice in dish.
10. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the apples are very tender.
11. Spoon a teaspoon of reserved topping over each apple. Bake 5 minutes longer.
12. Remove from oven and cool to just warm.
13. If topping browns too quickly, cover apples loosely with foil.