Roasted Apples

This is such an easy dessert that I almost feel guilty for having to put some sort of recipe down in writing to remember it, but that's how my brain goes: if I don't write it down, it'll be gone in a few days, no matter how much I liked it.

This is a great accompaniment for meals because it basically cooks while you're eating, and it takes pretty much no time to assemble. Plus, it's fairly light, as desserts go, so it won't leave you feeling like you've eaten a stone afterwards. I have a set of special apple-roasting dishes (they look like large ramekins with a ceramic finger sticking up through the center of them for impaling the apple), but this recipe works just as well with a normal baking dish. I've got the portions here set for two people, but as you can see, there are no set 'correct' amounts of fillings, so it's VERY easy to adjust this to four apples, or even more. Just add one apple per person. The cooking time shouldn't change, and there are no 'right amounts' for the fillings; it's pretty much whatever floats your boat.

Roasted Apples

2 Rome apples, or another type of cooking apple
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Honey
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Whipped cream or ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Core the apples, but don't peel them. I use a paring knife for this, but my mother (who taught me this recipe) uses a longer boning knife. Either way, this is probably a step that the grownups should do if you're making the recipe with kids.

Place the cored apples into your baking dish of choice. If you don't have apple-baking ramekins, I suggest lining a small baking dish with tinfoil. Ideally, the baking dish should be small enough that the apples just fit; this will keep the juices from burning, and will produce a lovely, super-sweet apple 'soup' at the end. Once you've got your apples arranged, pack brown sugar into the core until 3/4 full (This is why there aren't portions of the sugar listed in the recipe, it's difficult to know how much sugar this requires). On top of the sugar, sprinkle a generous layer of cinnamon, then finish filling the core up with honey. For extra fun, drizzle honey on the outside of the apples too in artistic patterns. Place a 1/2 tbsp butter pat on top of each apple's core-hole.

Place the apples in the oven, and bake for 40-50 min, or until the apples are soft all the way through. I use a cake tester to check done-ness: just poke it through the apples and make sure you don't encounter much resistance. The peels on the apples may have split in the cooking process; that's normal. Serve in bowls, one bowl per apple. Drizzle the juices left over in the dish over the apples, and top with lots of whipped cream (my favorite) or ice cream.

Servings: 2