Slow-Cooker Stuffed Apples With Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts

Why This Recipe Works

This homey dessert is often plagued with a mushy texture and cloyingly sweet flavor. We wanted cooked apples that were tender and firm, and a filling that perfectly complemented their sweet-tart flavor. We knew picking the right variety of apple was paramount to our success and, after extensive testing, we arrived at a surprising winner: Granny Smith was the best apple for the job, with its firm flesh and tart, fruity flavor. To ensure our fruit avoided even the occasional collapse, we peeled the apples after cutting off their tops. The skin on top trapped steam released by the breakdown of the apples’ interior cells, and removing the rest of it allowed the steam to escape and the apple to retain its firm texture. By keeping the heat low, the apples cooked evenly and didn't turn mushy. Our filling base of tangy dried cherries, brown sugar, and hazelnuts benefited from some finessing by way of black pepper, orange zest, and a few pats of butter. To punch up the flavor even more, we added chewy rolled oats and diced apple. We then capped the filled apples with the tops we had lopped off. A drizzle of maple syrup commingled with the cooking juices, which, when emulsified with more butter at the end, turned into a complex sauce and topped off a surprisingly elegant dish.