Description
Ina Garten’s Tuscan baked apples recipe delivers a sophisticated dessert from Italian countryside inspiration. Crisp apples filled with sweet almonds and rich mascarpone cheese create an elegant finale for memorable dinner gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 large, firm tart-sweet apples (Macoun or Empire)
- 8 tbsps (120 mL) plus 1½ cups (360 mL) Vin Santo wine
- 3 tbsps (45 mL) unsalted butter (plus extra to grease pan)
- ½ cup (120 mL) mascarpone
- 3 tbsps (45 mL) turbinado sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw)
- 6 tsp raisins
- 6 tsp golden raisins
- 1 tsp (5 mL) liquid honey
- ½ tsp (2.5 mL) pure vanilla extract
- Caramel sauce (such as Fran’s), warmed
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Heat oven to 190°C / 375°F and butter a 9 × 12-inch ceramic baking dish thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Apple Transformation: Peel a strip around the stem and create five vertical incisions. Use an apple corer to extract a cavity three-quarters down the center, creating space for filling.
- Filling and Seasoning: Arrange apples in the dish without touching. Generously fill each cavity with sugar, raisins, and golden raisins. Top each apple with a butter segment.
- Liquid Infusion: Pour Vin Santo into apple cavities and the pan’s base. Distribute remaining sugar evenly over the apples to encourage caramelization during baking.
- Baking Process: Bake for 30-45 minutes, monitoring tenderness with a paring knife. Replenish liquid with Vin Santo or water if it begins to evaporate to maintain moisture.
- Mascarpone Cream Preparation: While apples bake, whisk mascarpone cheese, Vin Santo, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Serving Presentation: Remove apples from oven, slice carefully. Plate with pan juices, drizzle warmed caramel sauce, and crown with a dollop of mascarpone cream.
Notes
- Preserve Apple Structure: Carefully peel a strip around the stem and make vertical incisions to maintain apple integrity during baking.
- Create Perfect Cavity: Use an apple corer or melon-baller to hollow out the core precisely, leaving enough base to hold filling without breaking.
- Monitor Liquid Levels: Check baking pan periodically and add extra Vin Santo or water to prevent burning and maintain moisture for tender apples.
- Serve Temperature Matters: Serve apples warm with pan juices and mascarpone cream to maximize flavor and texture experience.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg