Cook's Illustrated

Best Baked Apples with Dried Apricots and Almonds

Published January 1, 2010.  From Cook's Illustrated.

Why this recipe works:

Choosing the right apples—Granny Smiths—was the first step to developing a baked apple recipe with good texture and flavor. Peeling the apples kept them from getting mushy in the oven, while sautéing their top edges before stuffing them with a dried fruit and nut filling gave the apples themselves an intense flavor. As the final step, we used the slices we had lopped off the tops of the apples as a natural covering during baking, so the filling wouldn’t burn.

Serves 6

If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the browned apples to a 13- by 9-inch baking dish and bake as directed. The recipe calls for 7 apples; 6 are left whole and 1 is diced and added to the filling. Serve the apples with vanilla ice cream, if desired.


Ingredients

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