BAKED APPLES WITH PEPPERCORNS
This is a fun recipe, perfect for the Apple harvest. In Ohio we had many varietals to choose from, but for this recipe I like Granny Smith Apples. They are firm with a bit of tartness. This dish was a popular dessert, served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Shortbread Cookies.
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 Granny Smith Apples
- 7 tablespoons butter, softened, not melted
- Half Cup Sugar
- 1.25 Cups Apple Cider
- 1 tsp. Crushed Black Peppercorns
- 1 tsp. Crushed Pink Peppercorns
- 1 Vanilla Bean, Slit Open
- 1-3 tablespoons Armagnac (Optional)
STEPS:
1) Peel apples. Scoop out core. Brush all over with the melted butter and coat the Apples in the Sugar.
2) Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees and place the apples on a roasting pan. Bake 10 minutes.
3) Pour in the Apple Cider and scatter the crushed peppercorns and vanilla bean over the apples. Spoon the cider over the apples, then return to the oven. Roast for another 20 minutes. Baste the apples every. 5 minutes. On the final basting drizzle the Armagnac over the apples.
4) Let cool for 10 minutes, or longer, basting the apples occasionally with the pan juices.
5) To Serve, lift the apples into the serving dish and strain the pan juices over them. We accompanied this dish with Vanilla Ice Cream and a Shortbread Cookie. Enjoy!
Compliments of Chef John and Michelle De Joy, Owners of John Palmer’s Bistro 44, in Concord, Ohio, and currently Saraceno residents.
