I love warm baked apples and will happily eat them for dessert, as a snack, or even for breakfast. Even when it’s topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or jus a pour of heavy cream, I feel almost virtuous digging into one.

Serves 4.

2 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup, light brown sugar, or honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup raisins, craisins, or currants
¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 strips lemon zest, minced or chopped
4 Granny Smith apples, top third cut off and discarded, cored
6 tablespoons dry white wine or apple juice or orange juice, if preferred
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into little pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the maple syrup, cinnamon, raisins, walnuts, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix well. Dividing the mixture evenly, stuff it inside the apples. Place the apples in a small baking dish, so that they touch each other, top with pieces of butter, and pour the wine around them.

3. Bake until the apples are soft, about 1 hour.

From Warehouse to Your House: More than 250 Simple, Spectacular Recipes to Cook, Store, and Share When You Buy in Quantity (Simon & Schuster, 2006)