Baked Stuffed Apples

Today's treat is an easy, delicious dessert that won't completely kill your healthy habits.  At heart, it's a warmed up apple, but when you dress it up the right way, it can be a fantastic sweet-tooth craving buster!

It's... Baked Stuffed Apples!  Now you know I just love baking with apples.  And this is a simple and perfect apple dessert!  Warm and soft, spicy and sweet.  You can't go wrong with this little snack!

All you have to do is core out an apple...

Fill it with some delicious oats, nuts, raisins, and spices...

And pop it into the oven until it's golden and crispy... And dig in!

These apples are so easy to make, and you can change up all the ingredients to match your cravings!

Baked Stuffed Apples
Makes: 1 medium apple

Ingredients:
1 apple (I've used fuji and gala and like them both.)
1/2 tablespoon butter/margarine, softened or melted
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons oats
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Sprinkle of nutmeg
Optional: nuts, raisins, etc.  (I like sliced almonds and raisins.)
*Note: 1/2 tablespoon equals 1 1/2 teaspoons.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all of the ingredients (except the apple) in a small bowl.  Take a taste and adjust amounts as you like.
3. Core out the apple without cutting the bottom out.  I like to make a pretty big hole in my apple so it will hold as much filling as possible.  I do this by switching back and forth between a knife and a spoon to get the core out little by little.
4. Fill the apple with the filling mixture.  Place in a ramekin and place in the oven.  (I like to use a ramekin so that the apple has the least chance of falling over.  But you could put it on a baking sheet, etc. also.)
5. Bake for about25 minutes, or until the apple is soft and the filling is slightly browned on top.
6. Let it cool for about 5 minutes before eating.  I like to cut it in half and cut off the bottom so I don't eat the stem-y part.

If you're feeling really indulgent, you could try it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and/or some caramel sauce on top!  Yummy!

Enjoy!!!