Autumn Apples

By Andrew Hunter

I remember the old days in Michigan going out to the country orchards to pick apples, drink hot cider and eat cinnamon fry cakes. Well, guess what? The same autumn excursion is available two hours east of Los Angeles.

Instead of woolen sweaters and mittens, the boys wore shorts and flip flops, and instead of diving into piles of golden leaves, they moved a pile of old black bark to discover two shy lizards that darted away as quickly as they appeared.

We drove past Yucaipa and into the foothills to an orchard called Snow-Line, aptly named for the elevation that turns wintery white in December. But for now, the boys comfortably picked a myriad of different apple varieties from Jonagold, one of our favorites for eating, to the less familiar Mutsu, a Japanese variety great for baking.

We ended up with a crate full of different shapes, textures and colors, and a belly ache from too many apple donuts. This morning we separated the crisp eating apples from the softer ones for baking. The crisp ones will be packed for lunches and because Marilyn is in charge of this week’s class snack, many will be shared with school friends.

Try the baked apple recipe, refine it to your own liking and consider a place for it on this Thanksgiving’s buffet.

Cinnamon-Pecan Baked Apples

1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons chopped golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
8 Golden Delicious apples

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the chopped pecans in a medium, oven-safe sauté pan and toast in the preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they’re toasted and fragrant.
3. Remove the sauté pan from the oven and place it on the stove over low heat. Leave a hot pad on the handle for the next few minutes so you don’t burn yourself. Add the butter, brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream. Stir until the butter and brown sugar have melted and the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.
4. Twist off the apple stems and slice 1/4 inch off the crown of the apple to make a flat surface. Push the apple corer down through the apple to the bottom of the apple with a twisting motion. Remove each core from the corer and cut a 1/4-inch “plug” from the bottom of each core. Place the plugs in the bottom of each apple to keep the filling from escaping while baking.
5. Stuff the pecan filling in the holes, gently packing it in place with the handle of a small spoon. When the hole is full, cover the flat top of the apple with more filling.
6. Place the apples in a baking dish with 1/2 inch of water and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the apples are tender to the touch. Heat remaining 1 cup of the cream in a medium-size saucepan and reduce it until it has thickened slightly. Plate the apples on individual dessert plates and pour cream over the apples to serve.

Makes 8 servings

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