Baked apples with dried fruit and nuts

This is a one time when our wine of the week has called for desert. This is a simple, fresh desert that just screams for a glass Moscato d'asti served with a vanilla yoghurt for extra weight.

Ingredients - Serves 8 - 45 mins Prep

• 8 granny smith apples
• 100g chopped dried cherries
• 100g chopped dried figs
• 50g chopped roasted almond slivers
• 50g hopped toasted pecans
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• unsalted butter
• 250ml apple cider
• 3 generous tbsp maple syrup
• yogurt or ice-cream ( Yogurt Works Best)

Method

In a bowl, mix together 100g each chopped dried cherries and chopped dried figs; 50g each chopped roasted almond slivers and chopped toasted pecans; 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Take the core from 8 granny smith apples, leaving them unpeeled, and stuff each cavity with the mixture. Place the apples in a baking pan and put a generous teaspoon of unsalted butter on top of each. Preheat the oven to 180C. Pour 250mL of apple cider and 3 generous tbsp of maple syrup into the bottom of the baking dish and place in the oven for 45-50 minutes, basting every 5 minutes. When tender, place the apples on a serving dish and cover to keep them warm. Take the remaining liquid and place in a saucepan, boiling until reduced to a syrup.

Serve the apples with the syrup, accompanied by some of your favorite yoghurt and a big chilled glass of the Massolino Moscato D' Asti.