Apple season means lots of apple desserts, and baked apples are one of the simplest and quickest to make. Learn how to prepare and cook these easy-to-make baked apples.
How to make baked apples
I had two buckets full of apples left from the first harvest from our own apple trees, and I'd finally reached the point of "use them or lose them."
Since most of them were small and a bit misshapen, I chose the largest and best-formed apples to make a pan of baked apples, something my husband particularly enjoys.
Later on, I used those small and strangely-shaped apples to make Harvest Apple Jelly. I try not to let anything go to waste!
Preparing the apples
Washed the apples before using. I like to soak them in a sink of water with apple cider vinegar, and scrub them well with a clean dishrag.
Then core them, but not all the way through. Leaving the bottom of the apple intact helps them hold their shape and keeps all the good stuff inside while they are baking.
I removed the peel at the top of the apple so it's easier to eat them. You have to get a spoon in there somehow!
The next step is to arrange the apples in the baking dish.
The filling
I don't really use a recipe for the filling inside the baked apples. It's so simple to just add the ingredients and not have to measure them.
Fill the insides with a spoonful or two of brown sugar.
Add some water inside the apples too. This will turn the brown sugar into syrup as it heats up in the oven.
If you prefer to use maple syrup (and it's delicious this way too!), just substitute the syrup for the brown sugar and water.
Pour a little water in the bottom of the baking dish to help keep them from sticking.
Bake at 375°F for about an hour. When the apples are done they will be soft when poked with a fork.
Depending on the variety of the apples and their size, you might need to bake them longer. This particular pan of baked apples had to be baked for 90 minutes, even though they were on the small side.
After removing from the oven, let the apples cool a bit in the baking dish. Serve warm or cold.
A sprinkle of cinnamon, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream are all delicious on top.
Tip: We eat them with grapefruit spoons that have a serrated bowl, so we can scrape all the goodness out of the apple skins.
You might also enjoy:
Apple Pie
Harvest Apple Jelly
How to Can Apples
