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Friday, October 21, 2016

Fig & Granola Baked Apples

Somehow summer has slipped quietly away and fall is fully in the air.  And while some might think fall is the season of pumpkin everything, for me it's all about apples! Whether you pick some up at your local Farmer's Market or pick them right off the tree in the orchard, there is nothing quite like sweet, juicy fall apples.  Whenever we would go apple picking, it was so much fun picking them from the trees, we would inevitably come home with more apples than we knew what to do with. Once we got tired of just eating them, there would be pies, tarts, crisps and more!  This super easy recipe for baked apples, that are filled with wholesome nuts and granola and tied together with the fabulous flavor of fig spread, makes a great dessert or an even better breakfast.

You'll want to use baking apples for this recipe.  The best baking apples offer a balance of sweet and tart flavors as well as flesh that doesn't break down in the oven. These are some of the best varieties I've found: Jonagold, Braeburn, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, and my personal favorites Honeycrisp and Winesap.  If apple picking you'll be limited to what's available at the Orchard. You can always ask them which varieties they recommend for baking. 


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time:  50 minutes
4 servings
Ingredients:
4 large baking apples 
1/2 cup granola with pomegranate or cranberries, coarsely crushed 
1/4 cup chopped pecans 
1/2 cup Dalmatia Fig Spread with Orange or Dalmatia Fig Spread - Original, divided 
3/4 cup apple cider or water 
4 teaspoons butter, divided 


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Core apples, being careful not to cut through to the bottom. Peel top 1/3 of apples. Arrange apples, peeled-side up, in medium baking dish; set aside.
Combine granola and pecans in small bowl; stir in 1/3 cup Fig Spread. Melt remaining Fig Spread and brush on peeled parts of apples. Evenly spoon mixture into apples, mounding on top. Top each apple with 1 teaspoon butter. Pour cider around apples. Bake 50 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve, if desired, with heavy cream or ice cream.

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