Baked Stuffed Apples

You can serve these baked apples as a warm dessert with some vanilla ice cream or along with some coffee cake for breakfast.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 large tart baking apples
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• Optional: 4 teaspoons orange zest, grated
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup golden seedless raisins
• 4 teaspoons frozen orange juice concentrate
• 4 teaspoons butter
• ½ cup apple cider or juice

1. Wash the apples and remove the core and the stem, but don’t peel them. Add the brown sugar, orange zest if using, and cinnamon to a small bowl; stir to mix.
2. Fill each apple with a tablespoon of raisins, a teaspoon of orange juice concentrate, and a generous tablespoon of the brown sugar mixture. Top the filling in each apple with a teaspoon of butter.
3. Pour the cider or juice into the slow cooker. Carefully place the apples upright in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until the apples are cooked through and tender. Use tongs and a spatula to remove the apples to dessert plates. Serve warm.