Wayback Machine: Baked Apples

WOW. These Baked Apples are excellent. Let’s just begin right there. Imagine an apple pie devoid of the annoying crust portion, and you rather significantly have the idea. Dairy-no cost, nearly excess fat-free, and shockingly reduced in calories, they could be the excellent dessert for dieters. They’re Surely the ideal dessert for lactose-intolerant vegan dieters.

I manufactured them twice in two days, and would have kept going if we didn’t run out of fruit. (Oh, cursedly weak upper arms, why cannot you hold more grocery bags?) In fact, I liked the recipe so much, I desired to do a Letterman-esque Leading Ten list in its honor. So, devoid of additional ado…

Leading TEN Factors THESE BAKED APPLES WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF

1. They’re warm, tender, sweet, and typically tasty as all get out.
2. Also, the smell. Woof. Quite great.
3. The five-minute prep time doesn’t hurt, either.
4. They’re WAY far more filling than most other desserts. This is partly since they’re fargin’ gigantic and partly due to the fact apples are rich in fiber, which makes you feel sated longer.
5. The recipe comes from Christopher Kimball’s The Cook’s Bible. Kimball is also the proprietor of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Illustrated, and can completely do no wrong in my book. Situation in point: he frequently sports a bowtie/apron ensemble and manages to make it look like a stunning fashion statement. (Marc Jacobs, take notes.)
6. They’re quite with an exciting presentation, though you wouldn’t know it by my food photography. I’ve owned my camera for 3 years now, and I’m pondering if I should ultimately give in and read the directions.
7. They will impress the pants off family members members.
8. They’re low cost! Mine came to about $ .60 per serving. That’s less than … half a load of laundry. And if it came down to it, which would you rather have, clean underwear or dessert?
9. Do not answer that last question.
10. I’m operating out of factors right here. This is normally the aspect exactly where Letterman tends to make a poor Michael Jackson joke or some thing. I’ll settle for a undesirable typical joke:
    Q: How a lot of kids with short consideration spans does it take to screw in a light bulb?
    A: Wanna ride bikes?

1 fast note if you determine to make these (and please do, prior to apples become scarce): Kimball mentions that Red Scrumptious, Granny Smith and MacIntosh varieties are bad tips for Baked Apples, given that they don’t hold their shape properly. He suggests Northern Spy, Macoun, or Cortland as excellent possibilities. I attempted Idared, because the sign particularly mentioned “GREAT FOR BAKED APPLES,” and they worked beautifully.

Now, go! Run! Make ‘em! You won’t be unhappy, I promise.

Baked Apples
Serves 4
Adapted from The Cook’s Bible, by Christopher Kimball.

½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (Double it for powdered nutmeg. – Kris)
1-1/two cups apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon zest
four apples such as Northern Spy, Macoun, Cortland or Idared, washed and dried

1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2) In a modest bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a different tiny bowl, combine cider, vanilla and lemon zest. Set aside.

3) With an apple corer, melon baller, or teaspoon, core apples “devoid of cutting by means of the bottom.” (This is key.) Then, peel the top inch of each apple. (See image.)

four) Stand apples up in a baking dish. Split sugar mixture evenly among apples and pour into hollowed cores. Pour cider mixture into the dish itself, and then cover the complete shebang with tin foil.

two) Bake for 30 minutes, “basting with cider as soon as or twice.” Check tenderness by gently stabbing the biggest apple with a knife or toothpick. If it’s not tender, preserve baking for as long as it takes, which could be anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour. (It depends on the general size of the apples.) Eliminate from oven and serve warm.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Cost per Serving
214 calories, .2 g excess fat, $ .61

Calculations
½ cup sugar: 387 calories, g fat, $ .16
½ teaspoon cinnamon: negligible calories and fat, $ .02
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg: negligible calories and fat, $ .02
1-1/2 cups apple cider or unfiltered apple juice: 180 calories, g excess fat, $ .75
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract: 3 calories, g excess fat, $ .03
½ teaspoon lemon zest: negligible excess fat and calories, $ .00 (you still get to use the lemon afterward)
four apples such as Northern Spy, Macoun, Cortland or Idared, washed and dried: 287 calories, .9 g excess fat, $ 1.66
Total: 857 calories, .9 g excess fat, $ two.64
PER SERVING: 214 calories, .2 g body fat, $ .61

Inexpensive Healthy Very good – Frugal Recipes, Meals Suggestions, No Mayo