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“Baked Caramelized Crab Apples”

In some varieties of crab apple trees, the fruit remains attractive well into the winter. This baked dessert is a cross between the traditional baked apple and the caramel peanut crusted apples that surface during apple-picking season. In one bite, the chewy outside gives way to the soft apple and finishes in the center with a peanut crunch.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup cold butter cubed
  • 4 small crab apples
  • 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts crushed
  • 4 small sage leaves

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  • Make a dry caramel by heating the sugar and vanilla in a small pot over medium heat. One it has reached a medium caramel color, remove from the heat and gently whisk in the cold butter. Pour a ½ inch of the caramel into small ramekins and let the caramel cool and harden.
  • Peel the apples and carefully core them from the bottom.
  • Fill the center of each apple with the crushed peanuts, making sure to pack them in as densely as possible.
  • Place each apple in each of the ramekins on top of the hardened caramel and place them in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, turning them over halfway through the baking. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • Dip sage leaves into the leftover caramel on the bottom of the ramekins, making sure to fully coat them. Let them cool until they are completely stiff. Place one on top of each apple and serve!