How to Make Quick and Easy Baked Apples

Baked apples are a quick and easy side dish or dessert. Baked apples are also a healthy alternative to higher calorie, overly sugary desserts.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Apples
• sharp knife
• brown sugar
• butter
• cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
• glass pan and oven

1. 
   Select the kind and quantity of apples you need

   Select the number of apples you'll need, (3-4 medium sized apples does well for a family of four). Choose a sweeter variety of apple, such as Red Delicious or Gala, but any variety will work well. I would avoid Granny Smith apples however because their tart taste may over power the brown sugar and butter.

2. 
   Slice the apples in thin slices.

   Wash all the apples, and slice them in thin slices, discarding the core, seeds, and stems. Don't worry about looks, just get thin slices, Set the apples aside in a mixing bowl.

3. 
   Mix the apples with butter, brown sugar, and spices.

   Take two or three tablespoons of butter, a shake of salt, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a 1/4 cup brown sugar and gently mix with apples in mixing bowl. You will need to increase the quantity of spices and butter if you are making a larger number of apples. The slices should be "glossy" with butter and spices, but not coated.

4. Find a glass casserole pan, an 8x8 pan is ideal, but use what you have! Cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/4-1/2 inch of water. Spread the thin apples slices evenly over the bottom of the pan. Top with small pats of butter, and sprinkle more cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg over the top of the apples.

5. 
   Your family will love this home cooked treat!

   Bake apples at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm as a side dish or a dessert. You can add chopped walnuts or whip cream to make a more"eye catching" dessert.

Tips & Warnings

• There are methods and recipes for baked apples. One way is to leave the apple whole and scoop out the core, and fill it with butter and spices. I prefer this because the apples cook faster and are more evenly flavored.
• If you want to pre-slice apples, like before leaving for work in the morning, squirt lemon juice on the slices or they will go brown.
• Test your apples halfway through baking to see if they are tender enough and if they need more sugar, cinnamon, or butter.
• Make sure you taste your apples before serving, to ensure they are tender enough and taste the way you like.
• There are many other recipes for this dish, please seek them out if you want a second method.