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Baked Apples - Mele al Forno

© Stella Trynda

It's that time of the year when our local orchards are laden with my favorite autumn fruit - APPLES! – and we all seem to have our own favorite "picks" for munching, cooking, baking or even serving with cheese.

In these Italian-style baked apple recipes, I like using "Mutsu" apples - also called "Crispin" - a large juicy greenish-yellow apple with a firm texture, a pleasant tartness, and a small core - which I think, makes it perfect for baking. Other large firm tart apples like Northern Spy, Golden Delicious or Ida Red are also great varieties to use in these recipes...

Baked Apples in Marsala

6 baking apples

6 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/4 cup chopped raisons

1/4 cup chopped dates

1 cup Marsala (a sweet Italian dessert wine used in many Italian dishes such as tiramisu, veal scaloppini or zabaglione - just to name a few.)

Core apples from the top without cutting to the bottom. Leave base on apple. Remove about one inch of the peel on top. Pierce skin in a few places or make a shallow cut through the skin around the middle of each apple. This prevents the skin from bursting. Place apples upright in a buttered baking dish.

Mix together brown sugar, lemon rind, raisons and dates.

Fill the apples with this mixture and pour Marsala into apples and over the top.

Bake in 375F degree oven for approx. 40 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Baste often with the wine.

Serve warm with the sauce drizzled over the top.

Amaretti Baked Apples

This is another recipe for baked apples that tastes wonderful. You can also substitute pears for the apples and crushed gingersnaps for the amaretti cookies.

6 baking apples

2 tablespoons of honey

1 cup of crushed Amaretti cookies

1/2 cup Marsala wine (you can substitute orange juice)

1/2 cup water

Core apples. Place in baking dish. (see method with 1st recipe) Combine honey and crushed Amarettis. Stuff into apples.

Combine Marsala with water and pour over apples.

Bake in 375F degree oven for approx 40 minutes or until apples are soft.

(If you wish, you can serve the baked apples with a spoonful of sweetened yogurt or thick whipped cream)