Is there a way to make baked apples look pretty? Both my dentist and someone I follow on Twitter (Crescent Dragonwagon, has a new ckbk coming out this spring!) brought this up this week.
Usually I don't care so much if a food is plain and tastes good, but this piqued my interest. My prettiest baked apple dish is baked apples stuffed with fresh cranberries, butter and brown sugar, cinnamon, then sub cranberry juice for water in the baking dish. Can't say it's truly beautiful, tho. Considering if glazing after baking would help. Thoughts??
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Apple cake! :-) http://www.momfoodproject.com/wp-content/uploads/applecake1-640x508.jpg
I sear them in a super hot pan, creating brown spots, and then bake them a short time. They are tender, don't shrivel and they are delicious served along side roast duck. The key is really fresh apples that will hold up to the heat. Crabapples are great too. Is that her bean book that is coming out this spring?
oh and there are some crabapples out there that make for really good baked crabapples too
I think the beauty of baked apples is in their rustic appearance. In practice, a tarte tatin is pretty magnificent at least to me.
1. After the apples have been cored, use a very sharp paring knife to peel a very thin strip in a spiral around the apple from the top down. Don't remove too much peel, just enough to show a pattern.
2. Don't overbake the apples.
3. After baking, if your apple/cranberry juices are too thin, pour them into a saucepan and let it reduce over medium heat to a syrupy glaze. If you're not happy with the color, or if you want to add a spicy kick to the sauce, add two or three cinnamon red-hot candies to the syrup and allow to melt before pouring over the apples.
Thanks, everyone! thirschfeld, crescent dragonwagon DOES have a bean book coming out this spring. I am waiting anxiously for it so that I can try her fanesca recipe during lent. will be seeing my dentist again next wk and will bring him yr suggestions
Baked apples ARE beautiful. Close your eyes, inhale and taste.
CD's original bean book was the first of hers I had; I believe this is an update, 30+ years later. Love the latest books.