Baked Apples with Rum Soaked Currants

(4 servings)

The temperatures in Dallas have dropped off recently and although the daily highs are still near 80°F. at times, it finally feels a bit like fall.

This delicious apple dessert is tasty warm or cold. I love it best warm, topped with some lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream.

2 tbsp dried currants
3 tbsp rum
4 Granny Smith apples
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup sucanat or brown sugar
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp lemon zest
pinch of salt
1 tbsp cold butter
2/3 cup apple juice

The night before you plan on making this dish, combine the currants and rum and leave to soak overnight. The currants will have absorbed almost all of the rum by the next morning.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash the apples well and then using either a corer, small sharp knife or melon scoop, cut into the top of the apple where the stem is and remove  the core and seeds. The seeds will be near the very bottom and you might have to leave part of the seed casings intact otherwise you might cut through the bottom "floor". There's quite a lot of edible apple above the seed area which I don't like to discard. Place those portions into a bowl as you remove them. Each finished apple should have a well about 1.5-2 inches in diameter.

When all of the apples have been prepared, *chop up the apples coarsely, then return them to the bowl and add the pecans, sucanat, honey, cinnamon, ginger, lemon, zest, salt and currants (including any rum which wasn't absorbed). Stir until well combined.

*You can make quick work of this if you have a food processor. Place the apple pieces into the bowl of a food processor and add the toasted pecans, sucanat, honey, cinnamon, ginger, lemon, zest and salt. Pulse a few times until the mixture is combined and the apples are coarse. Stir in the currants and any remaining rum which wasn't absorbed.

Divide the filling between the four apples and fill their cavities. Don't fill them too loosely and allow the filling to mound up on top if there's extra.

Place the apple into a small pie dish. Cut the butter into four pieces and place a piece on top of the filling on each apple. Pour the apple juice around the apples to cover the bottom of the dish.

Bake the apples for about 30-40 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a knife. Take care not to bake them too long lest they begin to fall apart.