A good baked apple is such a comforting old favourite, no matter what stuffing you use (and it could well be just raisins with butter as Mum made for us as children). I thought I should go to a little more trouble here, and the addition of almonds, oats and orange zest does lift things considerably. You absolutely need to serve this with yoghurt, cream or even custard, depending on your sensibilities, to mingle with the delicious juices that escape during baking.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (55 g) sultanas
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) verjuice
- 1 cup (80 g) flaked almonds
- ½ cup (50 g) organic rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of sea salt flakes
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 50 g extra virgin coconut oil or unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 small Granny Smith apples (or if you prefer a sweeter apple, Pink Lady)
- ½ cup (125 ml) pure apple juice
- 300 ml pouring cream or natural probiotic yoghurt
How to Make It
- Place the sultanas and 2 tablespoons verjuice in a small bowl and leave to stand overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced).
- Place the almonds and rolled oats on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 6–8 minutes or until golden, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool, then place in a food processor. Using the pulse button, process until broken down, but still with texture. Transfer to a bowl and stir through the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and orange zest. Rub in the coconut oil or butter and mix well to combine.
- Using a melon baller, scoop out the centre of the apples, starting from the top of the fruit and leaving them connected at the bottom. Use a sharp paring knife to score a line all the way around the centre of the apples – this helps the moisture to escape and prevents the apples from exploding during cooking.
- Fill the apples with the almond mixture, then place in a small baking dish. Pour in the apple juice and the remaining verjuice (this should come about 1 cm up the sides of the apple). Bake for 45–60 minutes until golden, soft to touch and wrinkled. Remove from the oven and cool slightly, then serve with cream or yoghurt.
