Good Lady Apples Bon Femme

Adapted from https://ww2.kqed.org/essentialpepin/2011/09/17/good-lady-apples-bon-femme/

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

4 large apples
4 pieces stale bread (optional)
¼ cup apricot jam
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

STEPS

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2) Using a corer or a knife, core apples and trim the ends.

3) With the point of a knife, make an incision in the skin about a third of the way down each apple and cut through the skin 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep all around. As the apple cooks, the flesh expands and the part of the apple above this cut will lift up like a lid. Without this scoring, the apple could burst.

4) Arrange the apples (on top of the stale bread if you wish) in a gratin dish or other baking dish that is attractive enough to be brought to the table. Coat the apples with the apricot jam and maple syrup and dot with the butter. Bake for 30 minutes.

5) Baste the apples with the juice, and cook for another 30 minutes. The apples should be cooked throughout — plump, brown, and soft to the touch. Let cool to lukewarm before serving.


NOTES

Pepin

Dale reduced from 6 to 4 (2023)