Last updated on October 23rd, 2016
Last Wednesday, I loaded up my Lamborghini Veneno Toyota Corolla with pots, pans, a food processor, and numerous ingredients, and then drove for 90 minutes to the beautiful Adironack region of New York State. The occasion? A cooking class for the Lake George Garden Club!
The menu was as colorful as the autumn foliage that flanked I-87. First, we made Chive Pesto, using the chives I’d snipped from my garden earlier that morning. Then I turned some roasted root veggies into a main-course pizza blanco. And for dessert, we transformed oven-baked apple slices into Apples in Jack Daniels Custard.
Baked apple slices are noble things. They taste like apple pie, minus the crust. You can toss them over oatmeal for breakfast, or bury them beneath ice cream, sour cream, or whipped cream for dessert. Alternatively, you can fold them into puff pastry for Apple Turnovers, or roll them into crepes for Caramel Apple Roulades.
When you have baked apple slices in the fridge, all kinds of tempting treats are possible. I make ’em this way:
Mix some cinnamon and sugar in a big bowl…
And add the zest of one lemon. I hope you have a micro zester.
Using your impeccably clean fingers, rub the sugar and lemon zest together until fragrant.
Then take 8-10 apples (5 lbs total)…
And peel ’em…
Core ’em…
And cut ’em into quarters.
Then cut each quarter into thirds.
Now grab a polka-dotted spatula, and use it to toss the apple slices and cinnamon-sugar together.
Then stir in the juice of half the (previously-zested) lemon…
And finish with 6 tablespoons of melted butter.
Warning! The apples will be buttery, lemony, and cinnamon-sweet at this point. Try not to eat all of them.
Tip the works into a baking dish…
And bake for 40-50 minutes, basting the apples with their own juices every 10 minutes or so. A bulb-baster will do the trick. Just tilt the pan, suck up the juices, and redistribute them over all.
You’ll know the apples are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork. Just don’t over-cook them. We want apple slices, not apple sauce.
If the juices haven’t evaporated into a thick syrup during cooking, just tip them into a small saucepan, and boil them rapidly until thick and syrupy. Then pour the syrup over the apples.
And that’s it! You can serve the apples just as they are. Or, let them cool to room temperature, and then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
One week? Ha-ha-ha. As my sous chef, Mr. Bill, will gladly tell you, Baked Apple Slices are so delicious and versatile that you’ll use them up in no time at all. In fact, you’ll probably wish that you’d quadrupled the batch.
Gonna give this easy recipe a try? You can let me know by leaving a comment. Meanwhile, here’s the printable:
A versatile dish of buttery baked apples. Serve them as is, with or without ice cream, sour cream, creme fraiche or whipped cream. They're delicious for Apple Turnovers, too!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- The grated zest of 1 lemon
- 5 lbs (8-10) apples, of a variety that will hold its shape during cooking, such as ‘Golden Delicious’
- The juice of half a lemon
- 6 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, and rub it into the sugar mixture until fragrant. Peel, core, and quarter the apples; cut the quarters into thirds. Tip the apples into the sugar mixture, and toss with a spatula. Then fold in in the lemon juice and melted butter. Let the apples rest for 5 minutes while they exude their juices.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pour the apples and their juices into a baking dish. Bake in the middle level of the oven, pulling up accumulated juices with a bulb baster and redistributing them over the apples at 10- minute intervals. The apples are ready when the slices are fork-tender but still hold their shape. If the juices have not evaporated into a thick syrup, suck them out with the bulb baster and boil them down rapidly in a saucepan. Then pour the syrup over the apples. Serve hot, warm, or cold, with or without ice cream, sour cream, creme fraiche or whipped cream.
NOTE: Use apples that will hold their shape during cooking, i.e., 'Granny Smith,' 'Golden Delicious,' or 'Crispin.'
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Joan says
I am making these this Sunday when I cook (as much as I can) for the week.
Susan Kennedy says
Going to make this when I get home!
Belinda says
This sounds like the perfect gf desert for fall. Thank you!!
Luanna says
Oh yeah, definitely making this. Though making apple pie without the crust is sacrilegious, especially when my crust is the best ever, so says my hubby, and he’s always right. *insert laughter* (Also, if you don’t make crust, you don’t have leftover pastry with which to make pinwheels, and without pinwheels, why bother baking a pie? Something else my hubby says.)
My apple of choice for pie is MacIntosh because I do like my filling soft. But I’ll follow your advice this ONE time and try a suggested variety. But I like my apple pie, and therefore this naked apple pie, to be not overly sweet so I’m leery of the Golden Delicious recommendation. At the same time I don’t want the apples to be too firm, and I’m not a fan of Granny Smith’s anyway. (Just thinking about their tartness makes my jaws ache.) So I’ll go in search of Crispin and hope it’s a happy medium. You and your recipes haven’t steered me wrong yet! (I still get all squiggly happy thinking about your rustic onion and bacon tart – yum.)
Carol Ballard says
It will be made very soon. It looks yummy. I hope the sugar can be substituted for Splenda for diabetics.
Joyce Langan says
These baked apple slices just have to be made! I have a heritage cooking apple tree, makes fantastic apple pies,hopefully these baked apple slices will be heavenly.
Molly says
Genius!
Maraya says
Ah, so nice to wake up on a Sunday morning to your sense of humor and a fabulous recipe! How often do you hear your sous chef yell, “Oh, nooooo…” – just wondering…
Melissa says
Perfect – I just bought more apples and was wondering what I was going to do with the softer ones I had. Thought of applesauce but this is better! I have a few soft pears I will be throwing in also.
Barbara Burton says
Kevin—–Recipe sounds wonderful. But as a one person family-although I will share-
can I freeze some of the cooked recipe?
Melissa Horton says
Kevin and Mr. Bill, Thank you for this simply devine recipe that hits the spot during our cooler Autumn days! XO
Cathy says
I love these. I often do them in a castiron frypan, but baking them would be great and leave time to do other things.
Paullette McLaren says
Love love your polka dot spatula.
And of course you little supervisor. Does he have a name?
Paullette
Samantha Gray says
Going out in about an hour on this delightfully breezy, cool Long Island day to visit our local farm and pick up some Gingergolds (my personal fav) to try this for tonight. We love apples and this looks easier than my usual prep methods. Thank you!
Suzanne K says
I do something similar when I’m canning apple slices – instead of just using simple sugar and water for the liquid, I add spices to make apple pie flavored water and use that. Then, I have apple pie slices all winter! I use them with oatmeal, over ice cream (upside down apple pie ala mode) and by themselves!
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
“Yeah, baby!” says Mr. Bill, after taking the Lamborghini to visit Austin Powers for the weekend.
Those apple slices look formidable. I am hoping for a bad weather day which halts garden chores and sends me to the kitchen for amusement. I rely on you heavily, Kevin, for days such as these.
Tamra says
And what about the Jack Daniels custard?
Sandy Martinez says
Hey Kev!
Well…again your right on cue!
Honey just picked the (hard cider) apples from our orchard. We have over 80 trees, mostly cider apples. I’ll steal some for this yummy easy recipe. Thanks! Love. Sandy
Angelina Caccavo says
I am Angie from the lake George Garden club.Made the Carmalized Butternut soup for the holiday ,also the apple rollades,smells delicous in the kitchen, more tomorrow , thank you Keven, for new ideas for the family meal.Happy Thanksgiving from my house to yours.
Angelina Caccavo
Chris says
I too would like to hear about the Jack Daniels custard. My doctor says that I have to cut out all the bread, pasta, and pastry, but should eat more eggs, so this custard sounds like a delicious substitute for the pie crust ?? :).
Maraya says
I had 5 pounds of Honeycrisps on hand, so I made this dish yesterday. These apples are very sweet, so I used just 1/2 cup of sugar. They’re what I call “fluffy” apples. I didn’t peel them, and 5 pounds sliced filled up a 5-quart bowl to the rim! I had to pour them into a large lasagna pan to stir in the other ingredients. Next time, I’ll just skip the bowl and start with the pan for easier cleanup.
I never cooked with this variety before; they needed a little extra time in the oven. Turned out DEEELICIOUS! I had a small bowl of warm apples with a little heavy cream. The rest are in the fridge. Today, I’ll have them with hot cereal. Thanks, Kevin!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Maraya – So glad you enjoyed the baked apples. The ‘Honeycrisp’ variety is one of my favorites.
Laura says
Just recently found your site and love it. I would love to make these apples but I’m looking for the jack Daniels custard to go with it. Can you share that?
Laura says
Hi Kevin,
Never mind I found it on the site. Thanks.
shirley welch says
Love love baked apples, this recipe looks delicious. Can’t wait to put them on oatmeal for breakfast. Thanks for sharing.