If baked apples with cinnamon are an easy and delicious dessert, this slightly more elaborate version I am sharing with you today comes close to perfection. To truly impress your guests, these oven-baked apples filled with spiced compote and topped with a crunchy crumble are sure to earn you an enthusiastic round of applause as soon as everyone tastes them.
I find the transformation an apple undergoes when it is baked fascinating. Its flavour changes as a result of the heat, which concentrates its natural sugars and lightly caramelises them. If you use a slightly tart variety, its acidity becomes milder and the apples turn more aromatic, developing notes of honey and caramel. As for the flesh, the breakdown of the pectins gives it a softer, creamier texture.
What is more, apples absorb other flavours particularly well when baked, and this is precisely what makes the final result stand out. These oven-baked apples filled with spiced compote and topped with a crunchy crumble taste of cinnamon, vanilla, anise and caramel, while the crisp texture of the crumble makes every mouthful a delight. If, like me, you are a fan of baked apples, you simply have to try this recipe.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the spiced compote
- The flesh of 5 apples (Reineta variety)
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 star anise
- 20 g dried cranberries
- 25 g brown sugar
Ingredients for the crumble
- 50 g butter
- 50 g brown sugar
- 75 g plain flour
Ingredients for the final assembly
- 5 hollowed-out apples (Reineta variety)
- 1 vanilla pod
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 star anise
- 250 ml apple juice
- 50 g butter
Method
- First, cut the top off each apple to form a lid and set the lids aside.
- Remove the cores with an apple corer, then scoop out some of the flesh with a spoon without going all the way through to the skin, so that the apples do not break. Set the hollowed-out apples aside.
Preparing the spiced compote
- Cut the apple flesh into cubes that are not too small and place it in the Affinity stainless steel saucepan with the sugar, half a star anise, the split half vanilla pod and half a cinnamon stick.
- Place the saucepan over a low heat and add a couple of tablespoons of hot water. Cover the saucepan and cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 15 minutes, add the cranberries, stir and cook for a few more minutes. If there is too much liquid, turn up the heat to allow it to evaporate.
Preparing the crumble
- Cut the butter into small cubes, then add the flour and sugar.
- Rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until the mixture has a sandy, crumbly texture. Set aside at room temperature.
Preparing and assembling the stuffed apples
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
- Fill the apples with the spiced compote and cover them with the lids you cut off at the beginning.
- Pour the apple juice into the De Buyer Affinity casserole together with the split vanilla pod, half a cinnamon stick and half a star anise.
- Place the hollowed-out apples in the De Buyer Affinity casserole and sprinkle the crumble over the top.
- Place a little butter on top of each apple and put the casserole in the oven.
- Bake at 190 °C for 30–35 minutes.
- When the apples are ready, remove the casserole from the oven and leave it to cool slightly on a wire rack.
- Serve the apples warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a little whipped cream.
Suggestions
- When making the compote, you can use panela, coconut sugar or honey instead of brown sugar.
- If it is more convenient or you prefer it, you can replace the vanilla pod with vanilla essence or vanilla extract.
- The flour we use for the crumble is ordinary plain wheat flour. However, you can use whichever flour you prefer, including any type of nut flour—the result is fantastic with almond or walnut flour. And if you cannot decide, you can always combine both options, using one part wheat or oat flour, for example, and one part nut flour.
