Baked apples with caramel sauce

Today I put my asador de Nordic Ware back into use and it wasn't for making potatoes. No. I felt like trying something new and I thought of making a classic pastry: baked apples. Because although the gadget in question is christened “asador de patatas”, there are other foods and preparations where we can use it. I'm already thinking of roasting sweet potatoes or pumpkin next time.

Baked apples are one of those desserts you always crave. No matter how much the trends of American, Japanese and other sweets take over, I don't know anyone who turns up their nose at a baked apple. Especially if it's freshly made and accompanied by a handful of toasted almonds and caramel sauce. A treat, really.

Asador Nordic Ware, Pallarès carbon steel knife, Color Lab porcelain cup by Revol, Le Creuset ceramic ramekins, Küchenprofi stainless steel saucepan and Emile Henry crème brûlée dish

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

• 4 apples, Royal Gala or Pink Lady type
• 20 g of brown sugar
• 5 g of ground cinnamon
• 10 g of butter
• 10 g of sliced or chopped almonds

For the caramel sauce:

• 100 g of brown sugar
• 30 g of butter
• 30 g of water (2 tablespoons)
• 50 g of crème fraîche or heavy cream

Preparation

1. Cut the butter, which should be very cold, into four equal cubes and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
2. Wash and dry the apples well.
3. With a sharp knife make a shallow cut around the diameter of each one. We want to cut only the skin to prevent it from bursting in the oven and cracking in places. This looks neater and greatly improves presentation.
4. Remove the top of each apple with the help of an apple corer or a melon baller.
5. Place the apples on the four supports of the asador, pressing gently and inserting them halfway. If we don't go far enough the apples will slip off as they soften in the oven, so press firmly.
6. Fill the cavities of the apples with a teaspoon of brown sugar, a pinch of ground cinnamon and a cube of butter.
7. Place the asador on a baking dish that will catch the juices the apples release while roasting and that we will then use. I used the Emile Henry ceramic mold which is exactly the diameter of the asador and cleans up wonderfully.
8. Bake in the oven, preheated to 175ºC (top and bottom heat), for 30 minutes.
9. Meanwhile prepare the caramel sauce. For this place the brown sugar, butter and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes so the sugar caramelizes. Remove from the heat and let cool for five minutes.
10. Add the crème fraîche and stir with some whisks until incorporated.
11. When the apples are ready, remove them from the asador and use the juices they released to enrich the caramel sauce.
12. Serve immediately.

Le Creuset mini silicone brush, Emile Henry crème brûlée dishes, Color Lab porcelain cup by Revol, Küchenprofi stainless steel saucepan, Emile Henry round ceramic mold, Le Creuset ceramic ramekins, asador Nordic Ware and Pallarès carbon steel knife