Baked Apples for Dessert

I spent a couple weeks in a mountain village when I studied abroad in Ecuador, and one of my favorite things about living there was preparing dinner with a couple different local women. The town, Principal, was "famous" for its apples, so we ate apples all the time - people would always give me them because I was a random white girl. One night for dinner we made baked apples for dessert, and I still think it's pretty much the ideal simple dessert.

 We scooped the core out, filled it in with sugar, topped them with butter and poured sparkling wine on top. Then they're roasted in the oven (or wrapped in foil over a fire) until the apples soften. 

Principal, Ecuador - close to Cuenca

The way I've done that kind of apple dessert since then is pretty much the same, but I haven't tried the sparkling wine on top again. My favorite topping is peanut butter! I also like sprinkling cinnamon on top or smushing a marshmallow on top of the butter.

BAKED APPLES FOR DESSERT

Adapted from the kitchens of Ecuadorian ladies

Per person/apple 

1 apple

2-3 tbsp sugar

thin slice of butter

Variations!: 

- mix cinnamon in with the sugar and/or sprinkle some on top

- top the sugar with a few chocolate chips before topping with butter

- top the butter with some peanut butter - not too much

- top the butter with a marshmallow

- lots of other things!

Scoop out the Bake in some kind of oven-safe dish or cast iron skillet at 400 for about 15 minutes, depending on the kind of apple you use. I like my baked apples nice and soft but some people prefer they stay a little firm.

Everybody should go to Ecuador - it's amazing.