Walnut and Raisin Baked Apples

Ingredients

0 of 8 out on the counter

• 4 medium baking apples (182 g each, 728 g), such as Honeycrisp or Cortland
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tbsp dark raisins
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ½ cup water, for the pan

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 375 °F. Oven temperatures are not changed by altitude (Colorado State University Extension), so the temperature is the same at 5,430 ft; go by the knife, not the clock.
2. 2Core each apple with a melon baller or a small spoon. Leave about ½ inch at the bottom so the filling stays in, and make the hole about 1½ inches wide. Cut a thin slice off any apple that rocks. Run the tip of a paring knife once around the middle of each apple, through the skin only, so the skin does not split.
3. 3Stir the walnuts, raisins, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl until the nuts and raisins are coated. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the cut tops and into the holes.
4. 4Stand the apples upright in an 8-inch square baking dish. Pack the filling into the holes, mounding it a little on top. Pour the water around the apples, not over them.
5. 5Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake 35 minutes. Take the foil off and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until a knife slides into the thickest part of each apple with no push and the skins are wrinkled.
6. 6Rest 10 minutes. The pan juices are thin, so spoon them over the apples and serve warm.