Another fairly healthy fall treat: Baked Apples spiced with cinnamon, sweetened with brown sugar and filled with walnuts and chocolate chips.
I really wanted to put this post up yesterday (or this morning for most American time-zones), but for the first time in 12 months of traveling around SE Asia the internet connection was soo bad that it prevented me from blogging last night. I had everything ready to go, but then WordPress (among many other sites) just wouldn’t load anymore. So here is my belated Monday post (on Tuesday for me):
It is hard to believe that October is already coming to an end and there are still no leaves falling or turning their colors in tropical South-East Asia.
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If it depended on changes in nature to get me into fall mood, I would wait in vain. But luckily all it takes for me is some good ol’ fall baking and the scent of cinnamon in the air. This super-simple pumpkin cake or these scrumptious caramel apple cupcakes certainly did the trick for me.
However, I don’t even have to depend on my own baking for this. Just last week my husband and I were happily surprised to find pumpkin loaf on the dessert menu of an Italian restaurant in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Although it was tropically modified by being served with fresh mango, still my taste buds were rejoicing in colorful autumn tunes.
But how about a baked fall treat that doesn’t even require flour? I am speaking of baked apples. They are so easily prepared and spiced with cinnamon and brown sugar they are guaranteed to spread happy fall aromas and tastes.
I have to admit though, that baked apples had to grow on me. They used to be a Christmas tradition in my childhood, but I never liked them then. Same goes for the apple chips my mom made for us as healthy snacks. I rather had no snack.
Now I love apple chips and also baked apples. However, it has to be a tart variety for me to create a perfect contrast to the sweet filling. The apple softens significantly during the baking process, but crunchy walnuts set the perfect texture contrast.
A tip I learned from a recipe comment, is to cut a ring into the peel around the apple to let it breath during baking. Otherwise the peel might burst at any spot of the apple, which usually doesn’t look as appealing as one guided ring once around.
I only made one baked apple for myself, since my husband is not a big fan and I prefer eating them fresh and hot from the oven (one at a time). But I adjusted the recipe for 4 baked apples.
Recipes adapted from All Recipes.
- 4 tart apples
- 1 tbsp butter, softened
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
- enough water to fill bottom of a baking dish
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Wash and dry the apples. Core apples but not all the way through, either with an apple-corer or cut out a cylinder with a small knife. Cut a ring into the peel around each apple to let them breath during baking.
- Mix butter and brown sugar, add walnut and chocolate chips. Fill mixture into cored apples. Place apples in a baking dish, fill bottom of dish with water. Sprinkle cinnamon over apples and water.
- Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve baked apples hot, with ice-cream if desired.
I’ve never tried a baked apple. They just seem kind of boring as far as desserts go. But if I viewed this as breakfast, I could definitely get behind it. 🙂 And man, I wish my mother would have made us apple chips!
I am not at all opposed to the thought of baked apples for breakfast. That gives me ideas of filling them with granola etc…
My mom used to make baked apples every fall when i was growing up + i loved them! Yours look absolutely delicious. I should make some myself soon, too!
Thank you Amy. Would love to see a baked apple version by you as well 🙂