Name: Cranberry Pecan Stuffed Roasted Apples
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 7 large Granny Smith apples (8 ounces/227 grams each); 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened; ⅓ cup dried cranberries , chopped coarse; ⅓ cup pecans , toasted and chopped coarse; ¼ cup packed (1¾ ounces/50 grams) brown sugar; 3 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats; 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; Pinch salt; ⅓ cup maple syrup; ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted apples that had concentrated flavor and were tender yet firm with a good amount of filling. After trying many varieties of apples, we decided that Granny Smiths, with their firm flesh and nicely tart flavor, were the best apples for the job. Removing the skin from everywhere but the top of the apple kept the flesh from steaming and turning to mush. A melon baller helped us scoop out a spacious cavity for the filling. We updated a brown sugar and chopped pecan filling by adding tangy dried cranberries, orange zest, and cinnamon and bulked up the nuttiness with chewy rolled oats and the fruitiness with diced apple pieces. Before filling the apples, we browned their flat top surface in butter on the stovetop to coax caramelized flavor from the fruit. Capping the filled apples with their unpeeled tops protected them from burning. Moving the skillet to the oven, we basted the apples with apple cider and maple syrup to infuse them with flavor and keep them moist as they finished roasting.

Before You Begin

You will need a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet for this recipe. While old-fashioned rolled oats are preferable in this recipe, quick oats can be substituted; do not use instant oats. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core, and cut 1 apple into ¼-inch dice. Combine diced apple, 5 tablespoons butter, cranberries, pecans, sugar, oats, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt in bowl.

Shave thin slice off bottom of remaining 6 apples to allow them to sit flat. Cut top ½ inch off stem end of apples and reserve. Peel apples and use melon baller or small measuring spoon to remove 1½-inch-diameter core, being careful not to cut through bottom of apples.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apples, stem side down, and cook until cut surface is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip apples, reduce heat to low, and spoon filling inside, mounding excess filling over cavities. Top with reserved apple caps.

Add maple syrup and ⅓ cup cider to skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until fork inserted into apples meets little resistance, 35 to 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with juices in skillet.

Transfer apples to serving dish. Stir up to 2 tablespoons remaining cider into sauce in skillet to adjust consistency. Pour sauce over apples and serve.