Recipes

I never really loved baked apples until I ate the ones my friend Bob Silver served at a dinner party one evening. His apples are charmingly homey with an intense apple flavor brought out by modest ingredients: red currant jelly, lemon juice, and a little butter. Because Bob cores the apples all the way through and covers them during cooking, the apples are tender to the point of collapsing. The addition of crème fraîche just before serving brings the simple elements together to make a memorable dessert.

I often make a double batch of these baked apples to serve for dessert and as a base for improvisation.

Rosy Baked Apples
Serves 6

7 LARGE Granny Smith or other good cooking apples
Juice of 1 ½ lemons (about 4 ½ tablespoons)
½ cup red currant jelly
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream, lightly whipped

Prepare the apples. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Starting at the stem end, peel the apples halfway down. With the tip of a paring knife, score the remaining skin vertically (in the direction of the stem) with 8 equidistant cuts. Using an apple corer or melon baler, scoop out the core to form a tunnel that goes from stem to blossom end. Arrange the apples in a baking dish.

Dress the apples with the sweetener and flavorings. Drizzle the apples with half the lemon juice. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the currant jelly into the cavity of each apple, followed by some of the butter and a little of the remaining lemon juice.

Add the basting liquid to the pan. Pour the water around the apples and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons currant jelly. Sprinkle the apples with the sugar. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake. Bake, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the apples are very tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to 475°F, and bake 10 or 15 minutes longer until the apples are glazed and golden. Serve warm with some of their syrup and crème fraîche.

Improvisations to Rosy Baked Apples

Baked Apple Sorbet
Serves 4

This surprising sorbet requires no ice cream maker. Baked apples are simply peeled, chopped, and frozen, then pureed in a food processor; the apples' abundance of pectin makes them creamy. It's worth making a double batch of baked apples; one to eat warm and one to turn into a sorbet a few days later.

Prepare Rosy Baked Apples. Cool the apples, then remove the peels. Place on a cutting board and coarsely chop and remove any seeds. Spread the apples on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze. Up to an hour before serving, puree the apples in a food processor, scraping down the sides occasionally, until you have a creamy sorbet. Add fresh lemon juice and superfine sugar or honey to taste, if necessary to brighten the flavor, and process briefly. Serve at once, or pack into a container and freeze. To make a Baked Apple Soft Ice Cream, blend in crème fraîche to taste.

Smashed Baked Apples with Brûléed Marshmallows

One evening I skinned and crushed the flesh of some leftover baked apples and made this gratin with the chunky roasted pulp; just-this-side-of-burned marshmallows make a molten caramelized topping. It works fine with just about any baked apple recipe, such as Rosy Baked Apples.

Use this formula for as many apples as you have: For each apple, you'll need 3 large marshmallows and about 1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon segments (1/2 lemon's worth).

Remove the skin from the baked apples and coarsely mash the flesh, removing any seeds. Transfer to a flameproof casserole and warm over a medium flame. Toss with the lemon segments.

Slice each marshmallow crosswise into thirds and arrange on top of the apples. Just before serving, place under a preheated broiler, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source, and broil until the marshmallows are dark brown with tinges of black.

Baked Applesauce

Leftover baked apples make a fine applesauce. Remove the peels and seeds and coarsely mash with a fork for a chunky applesauce, or puree in a food processor for a smooth sauce. Adjust the flavor by adding additional sugar, a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon, or a few drops of apple cider vinegar. Serve warm or cool.