Baked Apples with Dried Fruits & Walnuts

If you can manage to save one, there's nothing like a cold baked apple for breakfast, topped with a dollop of vanilla yogurt or served in a pool of fresh cold milk. The best part is the nut-and-fruit mixture nestled in the apple's core. Don't be surprised if the apples split a little–or sometimes even a lot–as they bake. It's going to happen sooner or later. You can, however, increase the odds that it won't if you use Golden Delicious apples. They may not be the most exotic apples around, but they have pretty good flavor and hold their shape better than most apples do in the oven. Another trick: score the apple along the circumference, as described below, to create a sort of fault line where it can expand, lessening the likelihood of a split elsewhere.

Makes 6 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 35 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

• 6 medium Golden Delicious apples
• 1 cup walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup raisins, or dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a shallow 8-by-12-inch (or similar) baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Core apples all the way through with an apple corer, making a 1-inch-wide hole. Peel the upper third of each apple. Using a sharp paring knife, score the flesh about 1/4 inch deep around the circumference, more or less where the peeled and unpeeled areas meet. With the paring knife angled down, cut a shallow crater around the top of the hole to help hold the preserves that will go there. Set aside while you make the filling.
3. Place walnuts, raisins (or dried cranberries) and coconut (if using) in a food processor. Chop the mixture fairly well, but not too fine; you want it to remain somewhat textured. Add syrup, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg; pulse several times to combine.
4. Place the apples in the prepared baking dish and gently press 1/4 cup filling into each cavity. Spoon a generous tablespoon of preserves onto the crater of each apple.
5. Combine cider and butter in a small saucepan; heat over low heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour the liquid over and around the apples.
6. Cover the apples loosely with tented foil and bake on the center rack for 30 minutes. Remove foil and baste the apples well. Continue to bake, uncovered, for 20 to 35 minutes more (depending on the size of the apples), basting every 10 minutes, until the apples are tender throughout. The best way to test them is with a thin bamboo skewer; the slightest bit of resistance near the center is OK because they’ll finish cooking as they cool. Let the apples cool right in the pan, basting periodically. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold, with some of the pan juices spooned over each.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Per serving: 383 calories; 15g fat (3g sat, 2g mono); 5mg cholesterol; 59g carbohydrates; 4g protein; 4g fiber; 5mg sodium; 296mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus:
4 Carbohydrate Serving(s)
Exchanges: 2 fruit, 1 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 fat

DISCLAIMERS
Scaling Disclaimer: EatingWell recipes are tested extensively in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. EatingWell cannot guarantee a recipe that has been scaled to make a different number of servings from the original. Also note that scaling only applies to the ingredient measurements: no adjustment is made to the recipe instructions, so pan sizes and cooking times and ingredient amounts referred to in the text of the recipe only apply to the original number of servings.

Gluten-Free Disclaimer: We have verified that these recipes do not include the following gluten-containing ingredients: wheat (all varieties, including spelt and kamut, wheat germ or bran and other forms of wheat protein), rye, barley (in all forms, including malt, malt flavoring, malt vinegar and malt extract), oats, triticale or beer/ale. However, many processed foods, such as broths, soy sauce and other condiments, may contain hidden sources of gluten. If a recipe calls for a packaged (e.g., canned) ingredient, we recommend that you carefully read the label to be sure it does not contain a hidden source of gluten.