The apples are ripe and the weather’s got a chill. What can be better than a baked apple?
Wash and dry the apple, remove the core with a sharp spoon or a small knife from the to, leaving the bottom intact. Insert a hazelnut-sized piece of butter, half a teaspoon of chopped toasted hazelnuts or foraged cob nuts, half a teaspoon of brown sugar.
Bake at 180 C for 20 minutes and enjoy by itself, with custard or ice cream, or as a companion to a savoury meal such as a seared duck breast or a grilled goats cheese.
It couldn’t be easier and as heart-warming comfort food goes, it could hardly get any better!
Traditionalists will prefer a proper cooking apple but I find that Russet or Braeburn are good versatile all rounders.
