Baked Apples With Ginger Dates And Walnuts Recipes

BAKED APPLES WITH GINGER, DATES, AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Liberally butter a baking dish that will hold the apples in a single layer without a lot of extra room. Pour in the white wine or apple juice.
• In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, the 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, cinnamon, ginger, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Mash in the walnuts and dates.
• Using a melon baller, remove the stem end of the apple, then dig out the core, making sure to remove all the tough bits and seeds, but don't cut through the bottom. With a vegetable peeler, remove a 1-inch (3-cm) ring of the skin from around the top of the cavity. Stuff the apples with the walnut-date mixture, but do not overfill. Brush the exposed flesh of the apples with the 2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) melted butter.
• Arrange the apples in the baking dish and bake until a sharp paring knife inserted into the apples meets no resistance, 30 to 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the liquid in the dish. If the filling is browning too quickly, drape the apples loosely with aluminum foil as they bake.
• Serving
• These apples beg to be served warm, drizzled with the pan juices and topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143), White Chocolate-Ginger Ice Cream (page 149), frothy Cider Sabayon (page 238), or simply on their own.
• Storage
• Baked apples can be cooked in advance then covered loosely with foil and rewarmed in a moderate oven before serving.
• Variation
• Vary the pan juices by using 1/4 cup (60 ml) rum or whiskey with 1/4 cup (60 ml) apple juice.
• tip
• Use a firm-fleshed apple, one that will resist falling apart during baking, such as Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pippin, Rome Beauty, or Winesap.