stuffed baked apples.

We picked a lot of apples this year - there are so many things apples can be used in - soup, desserts, drinks, cereals, breads - the list goes on. We have to keep reminding ourselves to USE THEM though. Seems that since they are away in a dark cool place, we tend to forget. This weekend we remembered and made a delicious baked apple dessert - super easy, but great flavor.

I have made baked apples before, but thought it would be tasty to stuff them with something. It turned out GREAT. SOOOOO...here is our stuffed baked apple recipe.

Ingredients:
6 baking apples
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 Tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash ginger
2-3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 Tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup (or brown sugar)
3 Tbsp. good rum (optional)

Steps:
Peel the apples about 2/3 way down. Carve out the seeds of the apples, leaving a hole for stuffing. Don't core through the bottom!!!!

In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup oats, 2-3 Tbsp softened (not melted) butter, 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 Tsp cinnamon, dash of nutmeg & ginger, and 1/4 cup (or less) maple syrup. Mix until thick and lumpy. If you use brown sugar it will be thicker - if you use maple syrup it will be more runny (you can add more oats if need be to get thick). Stuff mixture the holes in the apples. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.

Place apples in a pan, and bake at 325º for about 1.5 hours until soft. For extra steam, I placed a pan of water on the bottom rack during baking.

As an option, drizzle 3 Tbsp good rum over the top of the apples before baking - then after about 45 minutes baking take a spoon and scoop up liquids from the bottom of the pan and drizzle over the top and into stuffing. Gives a richer flavor.

Cool and then eat as is (don't forget to drizzle!) or with ice cream.