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Sweet, spiced, juicy, and sumptuously soft, our baked apples recipe is a real crowd-pleaser of a dessert you can serve at your next dinner party or gathering to finish the evening in style.
Baked Apples Recipe
Apples baked and stuffed with various nuts, spices, jams, and other sweet treats have been enjoyed throughout Europe for generations, and such baked apple dishes are especially popular in the likes of German cuisine, Estonian cuisine, Bulgarian cuisine, Ukrainian cuisine, and Moldovan cuisine, among many others.
This is such a great dish to feed a large number of people a rich and filling dessert in a simple way, without having to spend hours preparing pastry bases or cake layers, for example.
Our sweet and spiced filling packs some drool-worthy flavor, which paired with the juicy, sweet baked apple flesh makes for a mouthwatering combination. Prepare to have lots of fun with this one!
Recipe Ingredients
To get started with our baked apple recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Apples – 6 medium apples
- Walnuts – 1/2 cup
- Raisins – 1/2 cup
- Apricot Jam – 4 tbsp
- Cinnamon – 1 tsp
- Butter – 20 grams or 1 and 1/2 tbsp
- Lemon Juice – juice from 1 medium lemon or 4 tbsp
- Sugar – 1 tbsp
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
Step 2 – Remove the core of the apples, first by using a knife to score off the top.
Then, use a teaspoon to scoop out a pocket of the flesh within each apple. Make sure the pocket has enough room for the filling while not removing too much of the apple flesh.
Your apples, with the cores removed, should look similar to the one below.
Core each of your apples, and assemble them on a plate or in a tray.
Step 3 – Using a pastry brush, brush the inside of the apple with lemon juice. If you don’t have a pastry brush, you can just spoon some lemon juice inside.
Step 4 – Mix the room-temperature butter, sugar, and cinnamon well until you get a paste-like consistency.
Step 5 – In a pan, over medium heat on the stove, toast the walnuts for about 5 minutes. Mix them continuously, making sure you don’t burn them.
Once done, transfer them to a cutting board to cool down for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, chop them up finely with a knife.
Step 6 – Add the nuts and raisins to the bowl with the butter-sugar-cinnamon paste.
Give the three ingredients a real good mix.
Finally, add your jam to the mixture, and again mix everything together until you have a thick, sweet filling for your apples.
Step 7 – Fill each of your apples with the mixture until the cored area is filled, and the filling protrudes the edge of the core just a little, as shown below.
Step 8 – Bake the apples in the oven for 35-40 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Your apples should look similar to the ones below.
Your apples should have a beautiful glazed sheen to them, while the skin should be wrinkled and crispy, encasing the sweet flesh and viscous filling.
Step 9 – You’re ready to serve your delicious baked apples! This dish can be enjoyed both hot or cold, depending on preference.
Serving Suggestions
Ice Cream – If serving hot, we recommend a lovely scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, to complement the piping hot baked apple beautifully.
Hot Servings – You could also consider custard, sour cream, or crème fraîche if serving the baked apples hot or warm.
Seasonings – The toppings and seasonings for baked apples are endless, but some popular options from Central Europe and Baltic cuisine include honey or sweet syrup, brown sugar, butter, and fruit jams or preserves, like varenye.
Savory – Many cuisines feature savory baked apples, with fillings that include the likes of minced meat or sausage and spices.
Apple Dumpling – Baked the apple wrapped in pastry, and you have an apple dumpling.
Baked Apples Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 6 medium apples
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 4 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 20 grams 1 and 1/2 tbsp butter
- juice from 1 medium lemon or 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
- Remove the core of the apples, first by using a knife to score off the top. Then, use a teaspoon to scoop out a pocket of the flesh within each apple. Make sure the pocket has enough room for the filling while not removing too much of the apple flesh.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the inside of the apple with lemon juice. If you don’t have a pastry brush, you can just spoon some lemon juice inside.
- Mix the room-temperature butter, sugar, and cinnamon well until you get a paste-like consistency.
- In a pan, over medium heat on the stove, toast the walnuts for about 5 minutes. Mix them continuously, making sure you don’t burn them. Once done, transfer them to a cutting board to cool down for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, chop them up finely with a knife.
- Add the nuts and raisins to the bowl with the butter-sugar-cinnamon paste. Give the three ingredients a real good mix. Finally, add your jam to the mixture, and again mix everything together until you have a thick, sweet filling for your apples.
- Fill each of your apples with the mixture until the cored area is filled, and the filling protrudes the edge of the core just a little, as shown below.
- Bake the apples in the oven for 35-40 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
- You’re ready to serve your delicious baked apples! This dish can be enjoyed both hot or cold, depending on preference. If serving hot, we recommend a lovely scoop of ice cream or a dollop of cream, to complement the piping hot baked apple beautifully.
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Contributor: Efimia is a Moldovan teacher and passionate home cook, who has been feeding her friends and family with her hearty homemade dishes for over 40 years and counting.
Author: Doina is a content creator and home chef, passionate about traveling all over the world to try new foods and using them to evolve her cooking back home.