This recipe is inspired by a dessert that Whit brought to a recent gathering. She filled the apples with currants and fresh rosemary and baked them in Sauternes.
Most fun about making baked apples is the opportunity to pull out the Back To Basics Apple Peeler sold at LLBean. I’ve touted it before as a favorite and effective kitchen tool. This well made cast iron “spinner” makes a wonderful hostess or birthday gift, especially at this time of year.
All month our site has shared recipes featuring pumpkin. While ours was admittedly pitiable, most professional and amateur farmers have enjoyed bumper crops of apples and squash. Heidi’s gave us one from her patch in Cumberland, Maine to use for this dessert. So with nods to Whitney, Heidi, and Back To Basics we offer our October twist on baked apples.
Pumpkin Corked Apples Baked In Brandy Sauce
Click Here For Printable Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
8 medium sized tart apples
1 cup roasted pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1-2 pints good quality vanilla ice cream
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 9 x 12 deep dish baking pan.
2. Peel and core the apples.
3. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of honey, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk well until smooth. Fill the cavity of each apple with a portion of the pumpkin mixture.
4. Combine in a 2 cup glass measure the brandy, honey, orange juice, and nutmeg; whisk well.
5. Transfer the apples to the the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes uncovered to set the pumpkin (pudding) core. Remove from the oven to add 1-2 teaspoons of the streusel topping to each apple, if using.
6. Gently drizzle with the honey brandy mixture, cover with foil, and bake at 350 F for 40 minutes or until the apples are tender. Remove from the oven and gently baste with the pan sauce. Cook under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp and brown the streusel.
6. Serve warm from the oven in individual dessert bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or at room temperature with ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Note: A reader suggested these be baked with a streusel or crumble topping. Below is a recipe adapted from the streusel we make for Annie’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake.
Streusel Topping
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup (6 oz.) packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (2oz.) GF flour mix (yours, ours, or Trader Joe’s)
2 ounces walnuts or pecans, finely ground
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons (2.5 oz.) unsalted butter, melted
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a food processor or coffee mill grind the walnuts with 1 tablespoon of the flour to prevent them from turning to nut butter.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients including the ground nuts. Stir to blend.
3. Add the melted butter; stir to blend evenly. The mixture should hold small “clumps” when pressed together. If too dry, add a little more butter. If too wet, add a little more flour.
4. Gently press 1-2 teaspoons of crumbled streusel on top of each apple after adding the pumpkin pudding batter to the core.
5. Bake apples as directed above.
What a great way to combine the tastes of apple and pumpkin pie into one dessert. I wonder…do you think a crumble could be put over the top to make it even more pielike?
LOVE the idea of a crumble! Great minds! We’ll edit the recipe asap, giving you credit. Thanks!
I was JUST thinking about baking apples last night after a trip to the orchard this week. So glad you posted this recipe!
Pam,
I have loads of apples and can’t wait to try this over the weekend!
GFG – Those look so pretty. Oh, my, how wonderful. Baked apples sound like just the ticket. Maybe this weekend. Thank you for sharing!
What a perfect recipe when apples are at their best – and their peak of production. I adore that you used Sauternes – yum nom!
We used Brandy most recently, but please, use Sauternes!
and what a wonderful presentation, too!
Pingback: Monday Mantra: Strong Minds… | Gluten Free Gus