Baked Apples

Mother-in-law bought several apples this week, so we decided to make baked apples. She said her own mother used to make some, but this is my first time to try it.

Surprisingly, it turned out good. We used different kinds of apples (Red Delicious, Jonagold, Braeburn and Granny Smith) to find out which would taste best. Personally, I think all of them were good! They certainly taste better than they look after baking!


What you need:

• 4 large baking apples
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3/4 cup hot water

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash the apples. Using a paring knife or an apple corer, remove the cores of the apple but stopping half an inch from the bottom. Make the holes about 3/4 of an inch wide, and use a spoon to dig out the seeds.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, cinnamon, pecans and raisins in a small bowl. Stuff the apples with this mixture, then place them in an 8x8 square baking pan. Divide the tablespoon of butter into 4 small pieces and top each apple with a piece of butter.


Add the very hot (boiling, if possible) water to the baking pan and bake for 30 - 40 minutes till the apples turn soft (not mushy). Remove from the oven and baste the apples with the pan drippings.

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. If using a paring knife, start cutting from the stem area, then the core. Cut a circle to remove the middle part then use the spoon to dig out the seeds.
2. Double the dry mixture if you make a bigger hole in the apples.
3. Sprinkle some of the dry mixture on the apples before putting them in the oven. It would make the apples taste better!
4. If your pan drippings dried out, create your own by mixing hot water, red sugar and cinnamon. More basting liquid = yummier apples!
5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on the side.