baked apples
notes
when i was working the middle east i got really into reading about cultures and cuisines out there and i learned this one from a lady who ran a middle eastern cooking blog. you can use walnuts instead of almonds and it still works really well. you can also use allspice in lieu of black pepper if you've got it.
ingredients
Apples :Four
Dried Dates :5—8
Almonds :1 ½ cups or so
Plain Greek Yogurt :Two single serving cups
Cinnamon :To taste
Nutmeg :To taste
Black Pepper :To taste
Honey :Four tablepoons
Butter :Four thin slices
instructions
1 . Chop up your dates and almonds. You're gonna want them a little course, so don't worry about turning this stuff into dust. It just needs to be spoonable.
2 . Dump the chopped dates and almonds into a bowl and spice them with the cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg. Try a few spoonful until you have a balance that tastes good. stir it all up until the almonds and dates are coated.
3 . Squish a knife through the top of your apples to core them. It doesn't have to be super artful — I just cut a diamond around the stem and push from the bottom so the top pops out. If there's a little bit of core-stuff left, that's fine. It'll get soft and tender when you bake it.
4 . Spoon each apple's hollowed core full of the spiced almond-date meal, and then top it with a tablespoon of honey and a thin slice of butter when it is full.
5 . Bake these at 375° for twenty minutes.
6 . Open the oven. You should have a caramel of honey and date and applejuice kind of pooling on the bottom now. Spoon that over the apples, so they don't dry out, and rotate the pan. Put them back in for another twenty minutes.
7 . Take the apples out, and top them with a half-carton of plain greek yogurt. You can add a little sprinkle of coarse salt here too if you like a savory touch. Serve hot or room temperature!