italian dessert recipes

Baked Apple Recipe

"Raisins, nuts, butter, and spices"




baked apple recipe
This baked apple recipe has always been one of my favorites. It's one of those fresh fruit recipes with a flexible apple list. Betty Crocker suggests these:

  • Rome Beauty


  • Golden Delicious


    • AND I've always like baking with:

  • Granny Smith


    • You don't have to mix red and green either. You can go all green apples or all red apples. I just mix and match to make it a nice presentation.

    Generally people ask about the anise in this recipe. And you don't have to use it. Anise is used often in Italian dessert recipes. Skip it if it scares you. You can see measurements and swap outs in the FAQs below. This baked apple recipe is flexible in almost every way. Just check out the options and ideas listed below. Or make up your own.




    Baked Apple Recipe

    YIELD: 1 Dozen Apples

    Ingredients:

     * 1 cup brown sugar

    * 1 cup raisins

    * 1/2 cup walnuts chopped

    * 1/8 teaspoon anise (don't panic - see substitution ideas)

    * 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

    * 1/8 teaspoon allspice (ground)

    * 1/8 teaspoon cloves (ground)

    * 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

    * 1 teaspoon of butter per apple



    Procedure

     * Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

    * Pare a 1 inch strip of skin from around the middle of each apple.

    OR

    * Pare upper half of each apple.

    OR

    * Use an apple slicer/corer.(see why below)

    * Mix spices and brown sugar together.

    * Coat raisins and walnuts with the spice mixture.

    * Put apples in UNGREASED baking dish.

    * Push raisin-spice-nut mixture tightly packed in center of each apple. If there is leftover, mound it over the top.

    * Place 1 tsp of butter on top of each apple.

    * Pour 1/4 inch of water in baking dish.

    * Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Check at 20 minutes and begin spooning melted spicy butter sugary syrup that's sitting in the bottom of the baking dish - over the top of the apples.





    All those spices? Can I skip some?

    Yup. Skip whatever ones you want. Just be sure you have a ratio of two teaspoons of spices. So heck, if you only want cinnamon - then do two teaspoons of cinnamon and that's it! You're the cook and the boss - YOU DECIDE!

    Peel some of the apple, really? Why?

    Peeling around the top or the middle prevents the apple from splitting. I use the apple/peeler/slicer gadget. Just my choice. But, yeah sorry. I know it's extra *work*. But if you want crappy desserts that are made quick, just go to some franchised restaurant. That's why I didn't put this in my easy Italian dessert recipes page. The prep takes a little bit of time.

    Nuts and raisin?

    I like something firm in the center of my apple. You can leave them out if you wish and just use the spices. Or you can just use one or the other.

    Why that apple list and not others?

    Really - just go for firm. I've just had luck with the ones listed and Betty Crocker says so, too.


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    Click here to see the fruit dessert recipes page.








    Lisa Gianotti Superbowl Sunday is coming up! The best Italian Dessert Recipes for a party like this are ones that are:

    FAST

    Finger Foodish (not big hunky sticky globs of gooey-ness that get on your furniture)

    And freeze-aheads

    A couple of my favs for this are Cappucino Cookies (lots like choc chips but with a twist)

    Anisette Cookies (Always on the top 5)

    Rum Balls (Gingersnaps and Rum)

    Let's not for get the drinks to go with the beer that will be present! Check out my Italian drinks section for that.

    Lisa


    Would you like to share this page? You know how to do it! Thanks for sharing the sugar love!



    Recipes on this site are from family cookbooks, family traditions, or intentional adaptations from traditional recipes to add an Italian flair. If a recipe was adapted or used from another cook - it is mentioned on the recipe page and the recipe author is given credit.