Apple picking season has started, and here in Ontario we are being told that it will be the best season we’ve had in a long time! With temperatures dropping and several family gatherings just around the corner, a sweet apple dessert might just be what you are looking for. While I like my pies and crisps, I really dislike peeling apples, so preparing something without that pesky task is a winner in my books. In addition, this combination of hazelnuts, cranberries and a touch of sugar is lighter and less of a guilty pleasure. I was excited to be able to share this recipe on Cup of Jo last week!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of unpeeled hazelnuts
- 4 large apples, such as Golden Delicious
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons of dried cranberries or raisins
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar (or sugar of choice)
- 1 cup of unsweetened apple juice
- 1 vanilla pod
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375F. Put nuts on a cookie sheet and roast about 8 minutes. Remove and put on a clean towel. Rub nuts together until most of the shells come off. Chop roughly.
- Cut lids off apples. Core with an apple corer. Remove some flesh to create a cavity. Chop the removed flesh and add to a bowl. Mix with lemon juice. Combine apple flesh with chopped nuts, cranberries and sugar. Fill apples. Put tops on apples and add to a casserole dish. Pour apple juice around apples. Cut open vanilla pod, scrape out seeds and add both to juice.
- Bake on lower rack for 35 - 40 minutes.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream or unsweetened whip cream.
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. If you can only find sweetened cranberries, decrease sugar to 1 tablespoon.
*Loosely adapted from Green Gourmet Cookbook
