Recipe Thursday: Baked Apples with Rum and Cinnamon

Ingredients
The Glaze:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 whole cloves
The Apples:
6 small to medium apples, preferably a sturdy variety like Rome or Granny Smith, washed and cored
6 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup unsweetened apple cider
 Rum raisin ice cream, optional
 
Directions
 
These are so satisfying and don’t break the calorie bank if eaten without the ice cream. They can also be made without the rum. I have suggested rum raisin ice cream because I love the combination, but vanilla ice cream or even lemon sorbet would be just as delicious.
For the glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the dark brown sugar, rum, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir to blend and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook and reduce for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the sugar and other ingredients to blend together.
For the apples: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a baking dish large enough to hold all of the apples, arrange the apples in a single layer. Put a cinnamon stick inside the cavity made from coring each apple. Pour the glaze over the apples and top each with pieces of butter. Add the cider to the bottom of the dish and place it in the center of the oven.
Cook the apples, basting them from time to time, until they are tender but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes (smaller apples will take less time). Serve with scoops of ice cream, sour cream, or just by themselves. They are also delicious leftover.
 
Total Time:55 min
Prep:20 min
Cook:35 min
Yield:6 servings
Level:Easy
Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli and foodnetwork.com