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The taste of childhood ... but a bit posher. Baked apples inspired by Skye

We did this recipe on Saturday night.
This is a slightly amended version of it.

ingredients

50g unsalted butter
4 large cox apples
50g flaked almonds
2 tbs brandy
1 orange
1 lemon
100g light muscovado sugar
75g raisins and sultanas
1 heaped teaspoon allspice


To prepare your apples


Take your butter out of the fridge about 15 to 30 minutes before you start making your baked apples so it has time to soften a bit first

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4

Use an apple corer to remove the cores from your apples, then carefully score around the middle of each one, using a knife

Take a little slice off the bottom so they don't roll over in the pan

Place the apples in a baking dish.


Put the dried fruit into a large bowl with most of the almonds and grate in the zest of the orange and lemon and the juice of the orange

Warm the brandy and add to the mixture ... let it soak for a while

Now add the rest of the ingredients

Using your hands, mix well, squeezing all the flavours into the butter

Stuff this mixture into the hole in each apple (where you removed the core) and rub the outside of each fruit with some of the leftover mixture

Toss the remaining almonds in the bowl so they become lightly coated in any leftover juices, then sprinkle over the top of the apples


To bake your apples


Place in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until golden and soft
Remove from the oven and leave to cool down for about 5 minutes before serving
Put each apple into a small bowl and spoon over the lovely caramelized juices from the pan

Serve with a dollop of good-quality vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche or custard

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