Photo by Gina Moore
Serves 6
¼ cup light brown sugar (dark brown sugar will also work)
¼ cup rolled oats
¼ cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 large baking apples, such as Jonathan, Fuji, Gala or Braeburn
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
½ cup, plus 6 tablespoons rum
½ cup apple cider
Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, combine sugar, oats, pecans and cinnamon to create the filling. Peel the top ¼ of each apple. Core the apples ¾ of the way down the middle, not going all the way through. Scoop out the seeds using a small melon baller or cookie scoop. Divide the filling among the apples, filling each one equally, and place apples in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Pour 1 tablespoon rum into each apple, and place a piece of butter on top. Pour the remaining rum and apple cider in the pan. Baste the tops of apples with the rum/cider mixture and bake for 30–40 minutes, basting occasionally to prevent the apples from drying out. Apples should be tender but not mushy. Serve apples warm, topped with ice cream, if desired. Drizzle the tops with the pan juices.