Foodie duo Gastro Gays have come up with the perfect festive goodie that all the family will enjoy!
These brown butter streusel baked apples are a fruity delight, with a rich nutty flavour and a sweet crumbly topping, not to mention this deliciously comforting and simple dessert can be whipped up at a moment’s notice!
Serves 6
• 120g butter
• 120g soft dark brown Siúcra sugar
• 150g flour
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• A handful (about 100g ) pecans, toasted and chopped
• A small handful of oats
• 1/2 salt
• 6 eating apples
• Custard, whipped cream, or ice-cream, to serve
Method
For the streusel, melt the butter slowly in saucepan until it turns foamy, then nutty and golden. Combine all the dry ingredients (sugar, salt, flour, oats, cinnamon ) with the chopped toasted pecans and stir in the browned butter with a fork until it comes together into a rocky rubble. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate if not using immediately as it will firm up further and be easier to scatter.
Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC and begin by taking an inch or so off the top (stem-side ) of each apple, straight across. Then, using a paring knife beginning from the very centre, bore out the core and seeds, being careful not to pierce straight through the apple –– starting with a paring knife and continuing with a sturdy teaspoon may make light work of this. Stop when you get to about 1/2” -1” from the bottom. However much or little you want to remove of the apple is your personal preference, but allow a fairly generously deep and wide area to house the delicious streusel topping.
Holding the cored apples over the bowl of streusel, take a handful of the topping and fill each apple, allowing a little peak of crunchy rubble to sit comfortably at the top. Assemble the apples in a lipped baking dish and fill the bottom of the dish with about an inch of water from a recently boiled kettle.
Bake the apples for 30-45 minutes (depending on size and variety ) and serve warm from the oven, an apple per person, with your choice of lightly whipped cream, indulgent custard or a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
