Baked Apples

Our guests enjoy baked apples in the fall. Just as the weather begins to cool, we bring out a soul-warming first course of apples filled with granola and maple syrup… simmered in a cranberry bath. We use Cortland apples in our baked apples because they stay white and don’t brown as easily as other varieties. These can be prepared the night before and kept in the refrigerator without turning an unappetizing brown. And, they resist browning even when baking. I also like using Cortland apples for our baked apples because they stay crisp and don’t turn to mush in the baking process.

Hey, go wild and try them with pears. Core the pear like you would the apple and fill with granola and maple syrup.

Baked Apples – recipe

Cortland Apples
Granola
Maple Syrup
Cranberry Juice
Cinnamon
Powder Sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Core apples (as many as you need). Peel apples around the top. Then leave a bit of skin just below the top and at the bottom. This will help hold the apple together. Lightly great a baking sheet with Pam. Place the apple(s) in the pan and fill with granola. Add a tablespoon of maple syrup and two tablespoons of cranberry juice to the center. Fill the bottom of the pan with 1/4 cranberry juice. Bake for one hour. Remove apples from the pan and place on a plate. Spoon the sauce for the pan over the apples and sprinkle with powdered sugar. This can be prepared a day ahead and Cortland apples resist browning and are great for baking.