COOKING KEEPS ME OUT OF TROUBLE when I’m not dreaming up trouble for Logan to get into. With Fall and Winter in the air, I was craving baked apples. The best variety of apple for this is a Rome Beauty, but you can’t find them in the grocery stores anymore. Apparently, they’re too much trouble to grow and ship, so most commercial farmers don’t bother with them.

BUT…! I found these Rome Beauties online. Kauffman’s, an Amish family fruit farm in Pennsylvania, packs and ships them right to your door! I got a box of 8 for a Christmas treat. Romes are too mushy to eat as is, but they make AMAZING baked apples!

Here’s the recipe I use:

INGREDIENTS

4 large Rome apples (or Jonathan in a pinch)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1/4 cup raisins, chopped dates or currants

1 T butter

3/4 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS

preheat oven to 375

core apples and peel skin off the top in a ring

stuff apples with raisins and nuts, top with brown sugar and place a pat of butter on the top of each apple

Place apples in a baking dish

Pour boiling water into bottom of baking dish

Bake for ~30-45 min depending on size of apples (when fork goes in easily, they’re tender and done!)

Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or just a few tablespoons of heavy cream poured over them.

MMMmmmmm!