Best Baked Apples

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 7 granny smith apples
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons apple cider

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375°f.
• 2 peel, core, and cut 1 apple into 1/4-inch dice.
• 3 combine 5 tbsp butter, brown sugar, cranberries, pecans, orange zest, oats, cinnamon, and diced apple in a large bowl; set aside.
• 4 shave a thin slice off the bottom of the remaining six apples so they sit flat. cut top 1/2 inch off stem end of apples and reserve. peel apples and use a melon baller or small measuring spoon to remove 1 2/-inch diameter core, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the apple.
• 5 melt remaining butter in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat. once foaming subsides, add apples, stem-side down, and cook until cut surface is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• 6 flip apples, reduce heat to low, and spoon filling inside, mounding excess filling over cavities; top with reserved apple caps.
• 7 add maple syrup and 1/3 cup cider to skillet. transfer skillet to oven, and bake 35-40 minutes, or until skewer inserted into apple meets little resistance. baste even 10 minutes with maple syrup mixture in skillet.
• 8 transfer apples to serving platter. stir up to 2 tbsp remaining cider into sauce to adjust consistency. pour sauce over apples and serve.