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Vanilla-Bean Baked Apples

Apples are very versatile—they work well with a variety of nuts, spices, and natural sweeteners. Rome Beauty apples hold up especially well during baking. Here, pecans, vanilla, and dark brown sugar create a winning combination of flavors in skillet-baked apples, irresistible served warm from the oven.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4

Ingredients

4 thick-skinned, mildly sweet apples, such as Rome Beauty or McIntosh
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 large vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted (page 53) pecans, plus more for sprinkling

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 375°F. Using a cylindrical apple corer, core apples three-quarters of the way down. Arrange apples snugly in an ovenproof skillet or a loaf pan.

    Step 2

    Stir together sugar, butter, vanilla-bean seeds, and the salt in a small bowl. Divide sugar mixture among apples (about 2 teaspoons each); sprinkle evenly with nuts. Bake until apples are soft, about 1 hour. Serve warm with pan syrup spooned on top.

  2. Nutrition Information

    Step 3

    (Per Serving)

    Step 4

    Calories: 187

    Step 5

    Saturated Fat: 3.8g

    Step 6

    Unsaturated Fat: 3.9g

    Step 7

    Cholesterol: 15mg

    Step 8

    Carbohydrates: 28.8g

    Step 9

    Protein: .7g

    Step 10

    Sodium: 66mg

    Step 11

    Fiber: 3.6g

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