Baked apples are a simple, healthy, and delicious dessert...but a lot of people have never made them before!  My boyfriend, for example, told me that he has never made a baked apple, and a girlfriend of mine also told me the same thing: that she has never made a baked apple!  So for those of you who have never made baked apples, ever, do try this recipe.  It's simple, easy, and fun...and of course nutritious and delicious.  Enjoy!

Baked apple recipes often include brown sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, butter, and raisins...and you can certainly add all that if you want to do so, but I prefer simple, whole, healthy foods, so this is my version of a healthier baked apple.  I hope you will enjoy this recipe too.

I am keeping it simple!  Just four ingredients:  apples, cinnamon, lemon, maple syrup...what's not to love?

Baked apples are a fun dessert since they are so easy to prepare and fun to eat.  On a nutritional level, one apple contains about 4 grams of fiber, numerous vitamins, especially vitamin C, phytonutrients, and many antioxidant benefits.  Lemon also adds a dash of vitamin C, cinnamon helps stabilize blood glucose levels, and maple syrup has a low glycemic index, manganese, and other trace levels of nutrients, and many antioxidant benefits.

There is something so sweet about a warm apple dish--a warm baked apple always feels nourishing, homey, yummy.

These baked apples last several days in the fridge, in a fitted covered bowl.  You can also reheat the baked apples.  I have tried this recipe out with many "recipe-tester" friends (you know who you are!)...and so far it's a keeper.  I hope you enjoy this simple dessert as much as I do.  I just made this apple dessert tonight, for some neighbors.  Left two baked apples on their doorstep!

Maple-cinnamon baked apples
(serves 6)

Utensils:
1 small, shallow baking dish
small paring knife
cutting board
knife
large spoon
measuring spoons

Ingredients:
• 6 organic apples (I use organic Gala apples)
• organic maple syrup, 6 tablespoons
• 1 fresh lemon
• cinnamon, 6 teaspoons
• water, 1/2 to 1 cup (depending on baking dish)

1.  Wash apples and place in shallow baking dish.  Add about a 1/2 to 1 cup of water on the bottom of the baking dish, so that the water covers an inch of the apple bottoms.  Set aside.
2.  Core the top 1/4 of each apple, so that you have a small cone-shaped pocket.  Discard  the apple tops and stems. Make sure to keep the bottom half of the apples intact (do not core through. There should be no hole in the bottom of the apples).
3.  Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon into each apple pocket.  Set aside.
4.  Squeeze 1 lemon on all of the apples, including each of the apple pockets.  Remove any lemon pits.  Set aside.  
5.  Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup into each apple pocket that is filled with cinnamon and lemon juice.  Set aside.  
6.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Once oven is ready, place prepped apple dish in the oven.  Bake apples for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  
7.  While the apples are baking, baste each apple several times throughout the cooking period.  With a large spoon, spoon cinnamon-lemon-maple syrup-water mixture that is on the bottom of the baking dish, onto the tops of each of the apples as well as in the apple pockets.  Do this about 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking period.
8.  To see if the apples are done baking, pierce a clean knife into one of the apples.  If the knife comes out clean, and the apples feel soft, the baked apples are ready.
9.  Let the baked apples cool slightly (about 10 minutes) before serving.  Serve in pretty small bowls, and add a few large spoonfuls of the cinnamon-lemon-maple syrup-water mixture on the tops of the apples before serving. 

Enjoy!

Options:
• use honey, coconut sugar, coconut nectar instead of maple syrup.

december 17, 2017 • recipe 20
a recipe by Carol Giardino • all rights reserved