Apple Pie Stuffed Apples

I gave you a healthy applesauce recipe, then a completely over the top cake recipe, so it seemed like this recipe would touch on parts on both the healthy and sweet worlds. It’s apple pie, but minus the majority of crust – so a bit healthier?

Also really cool looking. Seriously – look at those babies. Everybody gets their own individual apple pie. I feel like Oprah right now – you get a pie! And you get a pie! And I get two pies!

That’s not how it went?

That’s how it goes in my kitchen at least.

Apple Pie Stuffed Apples

Slightly adapted from Domestic Dilettante

I ate one immediately out of the oven and one a day later. I think both tasted great, so feel free to store extras in the fridge after you make them. I would recommend, however, reheating in the oven instead of the microwave to keep the crust from getting soggy.

Ingredients

5-6 green apples (or any other tart apple) that will stand up on their own

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Pinch nutmeg

1 pie crust (I used pre-made, feel free to overachieve and use homemade from your favorite recipe)

Equipment

Mellon baller/grapefruit spoon/or strong spoon and paring knife, 8x8 baking dish

Hollow out apples: Cut off the top of 4 apples and discard. Remove the inside of each apple. This part is really tricky and I made a complete mess out of it, but do your best to get rid of all the interior flesh leave the edges intact and non-punctured (bonus points for not puncturing your flesh). If you can, save any of the flesh you remove from the apple to use to make the filling.

Make the filling: Peel and finely slice the remaining apples and mix with salvaged flesh from the previous step. Add the sugar, brown sugar, and spices and mix well. Place filling into hollowed out apples.

Make the topping: Roll out piecrust. If you are lazy, simply cut circles large enough to cover the tops of the apples completely. If you’re feeling fancy, slice crust into 1/4-inch strips and make a lattice pattern over each apple.

Cook the apples: Place pples in 8x8 pan and add a bit of water to the bottom of the pan (barely covering bottom). Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.