These delicious baked apples are great for breakfast as well as a satisfying and healthy dessert.
They can be served alone or topped with the Honeyed Cheese Topping. You can also chop the baked apples into small pieces for use in salads or for a topping for ice cream or cereals.
BAKED APPLES WITH HONEYED CHEESE TOPPING
Baked apples:
6 medium Golden Delicious apples, cores removed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Honeyed cheese topping:
1 1/2cups low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon for garnish
6 mint leaves for garnish, optional
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Arrange the cored apples, right side up, in an ovenproof casserole or baking dish just large enough to hold them. Add the vanilla extract to the apple juice and mix well. Pour the mixture over the apples. Sprinkle the tops of the apples with the cinnamon. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the apples can easily be pierced with the tines of a fork.
2. While the apples are baking, make the topping. Combine all of the topping ingredients in a food processor and blend until satin-smooth. Spoon the topping on the apples while they are still warm. Sprinkle them with cinnamon and top each apple with a mint leaf for garnish, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
Each serving contains approximately: 255 calories; 6 gm fat; 19 mg cholesterol; 80 mg sodium; 48 gm carbohydrates; 7 gm protein; 5 gm fiber.
Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). For more information, you can go to her Web site, jeannejones.com.
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