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.