Baked apples are an old timey dessert that you don't often see anymore, a shame too, as they are very tasty and easy to make. When I was a child, every so often mom would make them for my dad. They were always well received. I tend to make mine on the simpler side of things, as some use chopped nuts, raisins and other things in the filling. They are good served as they are, topped with ice cream or even some plain unsweetened heavy cream over the top. No matter how you eat them, they are good!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash, halve and core apples, about one apple per person and place in a shallow baking dish that will just fit the number of apple halves. Sprinkle the apples with a good quality cinnamon, then put about a tablespoon of brown sugar on top of each half, then top each one with about a teaspoon of butter. Put a little water in the bottom of the pan and put it in the oven. Bake about 45 minutes or until the apples are very tender. Allow the apples cool slightly before serving and serve warm. Top each serving with some ice cream or plain heavy cream. And as always, enjoy!
Instead of apples, you can also use halved and cored ripe pears or halved pitted peaches or apricots. The peaches and apricots may not take as long to cook, so start checking for tenderness after 30 minutes for those.
