It’s October 2, which means that Thanksgiving (in Canada) is just under two weeks away. In the past, I’ve experimented with baking my own soda bread (somewhat of a disaster – tried to make it in muffin cups only to have them stick to the cups!), made quinoa stuffing (delicious) and this year, I will be making dessert rather than ordering a pie from the local pastry shop. I’ve spent most of summer looking for something lighter. Call it sacrilegious, but I’m considering baked apples instead.
About a month ago, I found this recipe online, and decided to try it to see whether it’s “Thanksgiving worthy.” I served it as a dessert at a dinner party, and it turned out to be extremely successful – my mom said that she felt less stuffed after having the baked apples than with a more “standard” dessert. The apples are definitely an add to my menu later this month. It’s very easy to make – all you need are apples, honey (or maple syrup), walnuts and cinnamon (the linked (which will give you all the directions) recipe calls for lemon juice, but it works without (I would add it if you want to keep the fruit from browning before it goes in the oven) – I had forgotten it the first time I made the apples). It’s also very quick to cook, at 25 minutes.
What you need for eight people:
- 6-8 apples (at least two different colours recommended)
- 1-2 TBSP cinnamon
- 1-2 TBSP honey (or maple syrup)
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Walnuts (optional)
Directions (as per linked recipe):
1. Wash and slice the apples into quarters
2. Toss in honey and walnuts, then sprinkle with cinnamon
3. Squirt lemon juice onto the apples
4. Place in baking dish and bake covered at 350 F for 15 minutes and then a further 10 minutes uncovered until the apples are soft
The dessert is best served warm with a bit of vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream (or drizzle it with regular yogurt).
