Farmers' Market Baked Apple

The other reason that fall is my favorite season (besides Halloween) is apples. I eat ridiculous amounts of apples and will find a way to integrate them into breakfast, lunch, dinner and of course, desserts. This is a recipe from my old web-site that is yet to be transferred (along with most of the others). But, with just about all of the ingredients to make these in abundance at the Farmers' Market at this time of year, I thought it was time to re-post it.

Since this tastes like a mini apple pie, it's a great alternative to apple pie if you don't feel like coaxing the often crumbly dough of gluten-free pie crusts into looking pretty during the holidays. I think that Fuji work best in this recipe, but definitely experiment.

BAKED APPLES

4 large apples

1/4 cup goat cheese, Fromage Blanc or Feta

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup apple cider or juice

2 Tbs. agave or maple syrup (optional)

Baking dish with glass lid large enough to fit 4 apples (if you don’t have a baking dish with a lid, you can cover a baking dish with foil but a lid is best).

1. Preheat the oven to 375º. Wash apples.

2. With a small paring knife slice around the core of the apple and dig the core out, leaving the base of the core in tact.

3. Put hollowed out apples in a baking dish and set aside.

4. In a separate bowl mix together the goat cheese, raisins, nuts, cinnamon and sweetener (if you are using it). Stuff this mixture into the hole left by the core.

5. Pour the apple juice into the dish dousing the apples and cover.

6. Bake for 30-40 minutes, Use a ladle or baster to baste the apples every 10 minutes with the juice poured into the bowl (time varies by oven and size of the apples, the consistency of the apple should be so that it is easily sliced with a butter knife but not so soft that it is collapsing or easily mashed into apple sauce.

7. Serve with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream, Almond Mascarpone, Traditional Whipped Cream or Whole Milk Vanilla Yogurt

Vegan Option: Omit cheese or replace with vegan cream cheese.

an inside view