My grandmother was not a warm and fuzzy grandmother like some. I barely knew her, and one of the only recollections I have of her, is from a time when she babysat for me one afternoon when I was about 7. She made me a baked apple, which I had never had before. Perhaps that is why I am so fond of them; thinking of them just makes me feel cozy and loved. The bonus to making baked apples is that they are brain-dead easy to make, and they make a great side for pork dishes, a lovely light dessert after a heavy meal, or a wonderful cold snack the next day.
Prep time: 30-40 minutes, 15 active
Ingredients:
4 tart apples (medium to large)
4 pats of unsalted butter
4 T brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
Optional: nuts, raisins, other dried fruit
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter skillet.
Scoop out the cores of the apples, forming a well in the apple, being careful not to cut all the way through. I like to grease the outside of my apples with butter before sticking a piece of butter in each apple well. Greasing the outside of the apple makes the skin more tender to eat.
In a small dish, mix sugar and cinnamon and whatever else you want in your apples. Stuff the wells with the mixture. Place in skillet, and place skillet on the middle rack of your hot oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Check apples by poking with a fork. They should be soft but not completely falling apart. They usually get cracked skin when they are done.
You can serve them plain, with heavy cream, or with ice cream. Some people like them with sour cream. Enjoy!
