Baked Apples with Caramel Sauce

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Carefully remove the core from the apples with a sharp knife or apple corer. Slice each apple into 6 rings.

Melt the butter and sugar together for the brushing of the slices, add the lemon/orange juices and cinnamon, boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and brush each apple slice with the mixture, then reassemble the slices to form a whole apple and place them in a baking tin lined with parchment. Mix the ingredients together for the filling and press into the centre of each apple.

Bake the apples in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until really soft and gooey.

To finish – place the nuts and amaretti biscuits in a processor and blitz down to a fine crumb. Remove the apples from the oven and spoon the crumb mixture over the top.

Serve with créme fraîche or Greek yoghurt. I love a tablespoon of date molasses over everything as well.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 6 good-sized eating apples

Brushing

  • 50g butter
  • 50g molasses or soft brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling

  • 2 handfuls of chopped dried fruit (ready to eat apricots, prunes, raisins and cherries)
  • 1-piece stem ginger in syrup, chopped
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 2 tablespoons brandy, rum or whisky

Topping

  • 1 tablespoon of whole nuts e.g. pistachio, walnut or hazelnuts
  • 12 amaretti biscuits