Baked Apples with Oat-Pecan Crumble and Bourbon Caramel

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Whole Honeycrisp apples, cored but left in their skins so they hold their shape, baked in a cinnamon-sugar syrup that gets basted twice for a glossy, spoon-lacquered finish. A buttery oat-pecan crumble packed into the cavity toasts as they bake, and a five-minute bourbon caramel pulls the whole thing into New Orleans dessert-course territory.

Ingredients

• 4 large firm baking apples, such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Rome Beauty (about 8 oz each)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 5 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 pinch flaky sea salt
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Choose a baking dish just large enough to hold the apples with about an inch between them (an 8-inch square or 9-inch round dish works well) so the syrup pools rather than spreads thin.
2. Make the crumble first so it can chill: in a bowl, stir together the oats, chopped pecans, flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture holds together in clumps when squeezed, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until needed.
3. Core the apples but do not peel them — the skin is what keeps them from collapsing. Stand each apple upright and use a melon baller or a sturdy 1/4-teaspoon measuring spoon to hollow out the core from the stem end, working down to within about 1/2 inch of the bottom and widening the cavity to roughly 1 1/4 inches across. Leave the base intact so the syrup and filling stay inside.
4. Run the tip of a paring knife around each apple in a shallow ring about two-thirds of the way up, cutting just through the skin. This score line lets the apple expand without splitting or blowing out. Rub the cut surfaces with the lemon juice.
5. Make the syrup: in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the light brown sugar, apple cider, 3 tablespoons butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not reduce it yet.
6. Stand the apples in the baking dish. Pack the chilled crumble firmly into each cavity, then mound another generous tablespoon on top of each. Pour the warm syrup around the apples in the dish, not over the crumble.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, then pull the dish out and spoon the syrup from the bottom of the dish over the shoulders and sides of each apple — avoid soaking the crumble top. Return to the oven.
8. Bake 15 minutes more, then baste a second time, tilting the dish to gather the syrup, which will now be noticeably thicker and glossier. If the crumble is browning fast, lay a small piece of foil loosely over the tops.
9. Bake a final 10 to 15 minutes, until a thin knife slides into the thickest part of an apple with no resistance and the skins are wrinkled and shining, 45 to 50 minutes total. Let the apples rest in the dish for 10 minutes; the syrup will thicken to a light glaze as it cools.
10. While the apples rest, make the bourbon caramel. Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan occasionally — do not stir — and cook until the syrup turns a medium amber, 5 to 7 minutes.
11. Off the heat, carefully whisk in the warm cream (it will bubble up hard), then the 2 tablespoons butter and the bourbon. Return to low heat for 30 seconds to smooth out, then whisk in a pinch of flaky salt. The caramel should coat a spoon and pour in a slow ribbon.
12. Transfer each apple to a shallow bowl with two spoons, supporting the bottom. Spoon a tablespoon or two of the pan syrup around it, drizzle with bourbon caramel, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside. Serve warm.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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