Best Baked Apples

Submitted by strawberrybird

"This recipe from Cook's Illustrated takes a little more work than regular baked apples, but the effort is well worth it. The result is a crisp, flavorful apple."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 20mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 6 apples
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 7 granny smith apples
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1⁄3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄3 cup maple syrup
• 1⁄3 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons apple cider

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Peel, core, and cut 1 apple into 1/4-inch dice.
3. Combine 5 tbsp butter, brown sugar, cranberries, pecans, orange zest, oats, cinnamon, and diced apple in a large bowl; set aside.
4. Shave a thin slice off the bottom of the remaining six apples so they sit flat. Cut top 1/2 inch off stem end of apples and reserve. Peel apples and use a melon baller or small measuring spoon to remove 1 2/-inch diameter core, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the apple.
5. Melt remaining butter in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat. Once foaming subsides, add apples, stem-side down, and cook until cut surface is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
6. Flip apples, reduce heat to low, and spoon filling inside, mounding excess filling over cavities; top with reserved apple caps.
7. Add maple syrup and 1/3 cup cider to skillet. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake 35-40 minutes, or until skewer inserted into apple meets little resistance. Baste even 10 minutes with maple syrup mixture in skillet.
8. Transfer apples to serving platter. Stir up to 2 tbsp remaining cider into sauce to adjust consistency. Pour sauce over apples and serve.