Apples #1 - Stuff and Bake

Baked apples...what's not to love?

When you get apples the size of your head, you know you've got to stuff those babies.  And that's exactly what I did last night with the monster Honeycrisps you saw in my earlier post. 

It just so happens Fresh Market included a recipe for baked apples in its newsletter announcing the celebrated arrival of the Honeycrisp.  It's pretty good, too, and couldn't be easier.  This will take you 10 minutes of prep time, an hour to bake, and a minute to eat.

Baked Apples Stuffed with Cranberries and Walnuts
(Fresh Market)

4 Honeycrisp apples (or other large baking apples)
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 C dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
1/4 C walnuts, chopped (or pecans, toasted, of course!)
4 T butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice off top of apples and scoop out cores, leaving a well in the center.  In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, cranberries and walnuts until blended.  Stuff each apple with a quarter of the brown sugar mixture. 

Place apples in a deep baking dish, topping each with one tablespoon of butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Fill the bottom of a pan with water, place the dish of apples in the pan, then bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until apples are tender.

Note:  I baked only two apples and cut all the recipe ingredients in half.   Be sure to drizzle some of the buttery drippings over the apples before serving.  These would also be good stuffed with granola.