Baked Apples Filled with Fruits and Nuts

Would you believe we have another winner? Bill spotted a plate of  Baked Apples Filled with Fruits and Nuts in our refrigerator. “What’s that stuff in the middle?” he queried. Part of the usual interrogation when new dishes show up in our kitchen. “Uh, fruit and nuts,” I responded, then quickly added, “but I’ll eat those for you.” Without even a pause, he agreed. “Not bad; pretty good,” was his review…a man of few words when he knows he could be quoted on my blog. This makes an unprecedented 4 out of the last 4 French Fridays with Dorie recipes which have received his approval….but stay tuned. This trend will not continue…we have Moules Marinière coming up in our queue.

The most difficult part of this recipe was peeling and coring the apples. I used a melon baller, vegetable peeler and paring knife as my tools and prepped three honeycrisps and a granny smith apple. Placed in a deep pie plate, I filled  these with a combination of honey, pecans, dried cherries and a pinch of cinnamon followed by a few dabs of butter. The poaching liquid consisteed of apple cider, apple peels and a tad more butter. The apples were baked, with a few interruptions for basting,  till tender…times varying depending on the variety of apples. This was a lovely, light dessert…perfect January fare. I served ours with a dollop of mascarpone topped with Best Boy ginger infused caramel. Ice cream or whipped cream would be other scrumptious accompaniments. And feel free to fill these with the dried fruit and nuts of your choice.

Dorie’s recipe can be found here. And the baked apple recipe and more can be found in her cookbook, Around My French Table.

Note: I used Best Boy & Co. Ginger Infused Caramel to drizzle over my baked apples. All of their profits go to charitable causes.

Author: LIZ BERG