Manzanas Asadas

Baked apples are one of those recipes that is most likely universal. Everywhere that grows apples at some point has to deal with a glut of apples. And most everyone enjoys apple flavors added to sweet things. Americans certainly do, and there is rarely an Autumn in Appalachia that doesn’t involve some version of this dish. In Asturias, people poach manzanas asadas in cider or dry white wine.

Cooked in that way, the lemon juice added to so many American baked apple recipes is unnecessary. Using tart cider (and very often also tart cider apples) creates a more tangy dish than Americans may be used to. However, Asturians usually drizzle more honey on top of the apples when eating them. That creates a wonderful contrast between the tangy baked apple and the sweet honey.

In Germany baked apples are a Christmas specialty. And in the US people bake them almost exclusively in Autumn. However, in Asturias manzanas asadas are appropriate any time of year. This recipe is an adaptation of a common way of baking apples in the conceyo of Navia.

Ingredients

• 6 apples. Tart cider-making varieties are most authentic, but choose whichever apple you enjoy
• 500 ml still cider. Fresh pressed apple cider works almost as well if you can’t find a dry alcoholic cider
• 75 g salted butter. if you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the butter after stuffing
• 75 g honey.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Assemble your ingredients.
2. Wash and core, but do not peel, six apples. Arrange them in a baking dish with room to spare on all sides.
3. Divide your butter into six even pieces and stuff it into the apples. If using unsalted butter, add a few grains of salt to each apple now.
4. Drizzle honey into each apple, on top of the butter and perhaps a bit on the outsides.
5. Pour the half liter of cider into the bottom of the baking dish and pop it in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes more or less.