{This recipe is part of my Slightly-Homemade recipes collection. I like short cuts and easy to make recipes, my Slightly-Homemade recipes save time and often have ingredients that make it easier and quicker to create them. I enjoy using these Slightly-Homemade recipes that are often easier, quicker and time saving, and I hope that you find they do that for you too!}
Sometimes the sweet tooth needs some satisfaction so after going on the hunt I found myself staring at a bowl of apples. I wasn't in the mood for that, but a warm baked apple pie sounded real good. That led to visions of bubbly apple crisp but, I didn't have oatmeal, and only had very little brown sugar, so that wasn't going to happen either. Then it came to me, I did have a couple packets of instant oatmeal and fortunately they were of the maple and brown sugar variety. I had a plan for joy to my sweet tooth and warmth to my soul ...warm, delicious, baked, stuffed apples!
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The first steps of the preparation were to core the apples. I made about a one and half inch opening, leaving about a quarter of an inch at the bottom.
After stirring well to keep it mixed, I added some of the instant oatmeal to about half way up the center, then added a couple teaspoons of water. I then drizzled a bit of honey (just a little) on top of that.
I added more oatmeal mixture to fill the apples, then a little more water, and added another little drizzle of honey. I topped them off with a touch of butter.
I placed the apples on a small shallow baking dish, then added a little water to the bottom of the dish, covered them loosely with foil, and then baked them to perfection!
After cooling I added chopped walnuts, and I made a sauce to drizzle over the tops. In just a few minutes I had delicious baked, stuffed apples topped with a yummy warm sauce.
And here's something that is gonna make you love me, and if you loved me already ...well, you're gonna love even more!
That yummy sauce I put on top, it is as simple as simple can be. Take a heaping spoon full of brown sugar and put that in a glass pyrex bowl and add to that about the same amount of butter. Now zap that in the microwave for just a few seconds, I mean few! Don't walk away, don't sneeze, don't do anything else, just stay right there watching it til you just see the butter melting, now stop! Carefully remove it and stir it to combine well as the sugar and the butter have a happy union, and then you'll notice that it looks a lot like caramel sauce. Uh huh! You're welcome! Now just drizzle that lovely sauce all over the top of those apples. Mmmmm. I know! Trust me it sounds as good as it really is! If you like apples, apple pie, or apple crisp, you'll like this.
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mmmmm, baked stuffed apples = sweet tooth satisfaction!
Baked Stuffed Apples
Ingredients:
4 sweet apples, (I used Gala)
2 packets instant oatmeal-maple and brown sugar flavor
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped or pecans (optional for topping)
1 tablespoon butter divided into four parts
approx 2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup water
for sauce:
2 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoon brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Use an apple corer or paring knife to remove apple cores, cut within a quarter inch of the bottom.
Cut about an inch and a half wide opening for stuffing.
Open oatmeal packets into a small bowl and stir well before filling apples half way full with oatmeal mixture. Add a teaspoon of water on top of oatmeal to each. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon honey on top of oatmeal mixture in each apple cavity. Mix oatmeal again and repeat filling each apple with the oatmeal mixture, a small amount of water and finish each with honey.
Top each apple with one piece of the divided butter.
Add water to the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake in center of oven for 20 minutes, then remove foil.
Continue baking up to 20 to 30 minutes until apples are soft and the skins appear wrinkled. Test by poking a fork through the oatmeal and into the apple, if it goes in easily and if they feel soft the apples are done.
While apples cool slightly, make caramel sauce. Drizzle sauce over warm apples and serve.
Enjoy!...
