Baked Apples (GF Option Listed at Bottom)

The apples were still hot, soft and steamy as I took this picture. The air was filled with the aroma of the warm spices of cinnamon and cloves. Fall is in the air.

The previous blog was about apples and by now, you have probably have gone apple picking. I used large Fuji Apples and stuffed them with a combination of oats, brown sugar and raisins. How can you wrong with that? A warm apple stuffed with makings of an oatmeal raisin cookie?

I make these often during the Fall as a side dish with dinner or add vanilla ice cream with warm caramel sauce and call it dessert.

Let's get started, you'll need:

4 large apples - cored and scooped out a little

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup Quick Cook Oatmeal

1 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch cloves

1/4 cup flour (GF Option listed below)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/8 cup raisins (can add more or less)

1/4 cup apple cider

Casserole dish buttered (I use disposable pan buttered)

Cinnamon sticks for decorations

1) Soften butter and add brown sugar. Cream until mixed well then add the oats (mixture will be dry and crumbly) Stir in the flour and the spices. Add the raisins last to the mixture. The moisture from the apples will bring this filling together and it will double in size. Set mixture aside as you core your apples.

2) Ensure the apples sit flat in the pan/casserole dish (you may need to cut a little off the bottom to flatten) Use a small knife and cut on an angle around the stem. Once you have removed a piece, use a melon scoop to remove the center of the apple, to make a compartment where you will put the filling.

3) Fill the apples with the mixture from step#1. Pack as much as

you can into the apple, it will cook down. I like to put some extra filling around the apples and allow the juice to seep on the extra filling.

If I serve the apples with vanilla ice cream, I use this extra filling (reheated) on top of the ice cream. Hot apples and vanilla ice cream - yummy.

Pour the apple cider in the bottom of the pan and cover with foil. Bake on 325 degree oven for 30 mins. or until the apples are tender but still hold their shape.

GLUTEN FREE OPTION:

Follow the instructions above except use:

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour - instead of regular flour

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats - instead of regular oats

Enjoy and Happy Fall!