Now that my October Soup Series has come to a close, I can share some of the other yummy things I have made lately.  Fall brings cravings for certain foods and spices.  For me, baked apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg are part of the ingredients for a perfect warm fall dessert.

I did a quick Google search one night and stumbled on this recipe for baked apples.  It ended up being so super easy and quick (not to mention tasty!) that I knew I had to share it with you.

My main gripe with the recipe is that you need to make extra topping than what it actually has you make.  I used medium-sized Honey Crisp apples, but I like to mound on the topping so there is a nice crunchy dome on top of the apple.  (For example, if you are using 6 apples, double the streusel topping recipe from the original recipe.)  If you prefer a thin layer of streusel, the recommended amount of topping should be fine.  You can bake any leftover topping in a separate pan and use it on ice cream or yogurt.  (I do encourage you to bake it separately because the apples release some liquid when baked and you want your topping crunchy and not soggy.)


I'm going to post the recipe here with my changes, but please feel free to check out the original recipe here.



Ingredients
- 4 apples
- a stick of butter, melted
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of crushed walnuts
- 2 tsp of cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- pinch of salt
- pinch or two of nutmeg

Directions
Slice apples in half and scoop out the seeds and stem parts.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Fill and top each apple half with the mixture.  I scooped up a small handful of the mixture, packed it together in a ball, and then placed it on the apple half.  Hold the apple in one hand and pack the mixture onto it.  I used my hand to shape it into a dome.

Bake at 350 until tops are golden brown and apples swell, about 30 minutes.  When they are done, let them cool for a few minutes.  I served them with some whipped cream.  Enjoy!!