Food and Friendship

Santa Barbara

easy french cooking the dorie way

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If you reside in the world of cooking or cookbooks even occasionally, you will surely know Dorie Greenspan, a Brooklyn-born francophile who now splits her time between her homes in New York and Paris. She is the author of many award-winning books (including three of our favorites: Around My French Table, Baking From My Home to Yours, and Baking Chez Moi) and has collaborated with the greats, such as Julia Child and Pierre Herme.

Currently writing a column for the Sunday New York Times, she had a brief email exchange with me when I remarked on one of her recent narratives.  It had caught my eye because she’d mentioned the same ice cream parlor I had frequented growing up in New York.  The column also addressed a question about her background that I found interesting:  when asked in an interview, Dorie said she couldn’t think of one single thing her mother used to cook.  Not one!  And then weeks later, while walking down a staircase in her Paris apartment building, the thought came to her that wait, there was one specialty of her mom’s that is still in constant rotation at her house.  It’s “baked apples” a simple dessert that was a staple in my own mom’s kitchen too.  Easy and delicious, especially when adding a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream, it’s a blast from the past that’s been brought up to date by thoroughly modern Dorie.

5.0 from 2 reviews
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Baked Apples
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Serves: 4 servings
 
This is a fancier version of the ones my mother and grandmother used to make. Theirs was very simple and had much fewer ingredients. In fact, although we always called them "baked apples," my mom's version was actually cooked on top of the stove and took just a few minutes to prepare. Here's how she did it: Core the apples and put them into a saucepan,. Put a pat of butter into the middle of each apple and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cook, covered, over low heat until the apples are softened, about 30 minutes. Side benefit to both my mom's and Dorie's: your kitchen will smell wonderful!
Ingredients
  • 4 large apples
  • 2 lemon wedges
  • 2 - 3 dried apple rings, cut into bits
  • 4 tiny pieces crystallized ginger (optional)
  • 3 - 4 teaspoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup apple cider or juice
  • Heavy cream, whipped cream, or ice cream, for serving (optional but recommended)
  • Cinnamon for dusting (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set a 9- or 10- inch glass pie dish on top.
  3. Cut a small cap off the top of each apple, and set aside. Using a paring knife, core the apples, making sure not to go all the way to the bottom. Cut away about ½-inch of peel around the tops of the apples. Rub the peeled portions of the apples with the lemon, squeezing a little juice into each opening.
  4. Fill each apple with an equal amount of dried apple and ginger, if using, pressing down lightly as needed to push bits into the opening. Pour ½ teaspoon honey over the dried fruit in each apple.
  5. Cut the butter into 4 pieces, and top each apple with a pat. Pop the caps back onto the apples (it's ok if they teeter).
  6. Transfer the apples, lemon wedges and a few of the peels into the pie dish, pour in the cider or juice, and stir in 1 - 2 teaspoons honey. (the honey won't blend evenly into the cider, but that's ok)
  7. Bake the apples, basting occasionally, until you can poke them with the tip of a knife or skewer and not meet much resistance, for 50 - 70 minutes.
  8. Since apples vary so widely, check early and often to make sure you don't need more or less time.
  9. Let the apples cool for at least 15 minutes before serving moistened with a little pan sauce, and if desired, top with cold heavy cream, whipped cream, or ice cream, and dust with cinnamon.
  10. The apples are good warm or at room temperature and will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 days; they can be reheated in a microwave.