Apple Fall Bakes

We love Fall!! This weekend, we had our first change in weather, which brought us down to the 70's! That may not sound like a great cool-down, but when you are going from upper 90's to low 70's you get excited. When thinking of my favorite things of fall, you know food is somewhere near the top of that list. Fall produce is a must-have and we savor every bit of it, with apples and pumpkin being among our favorites. I began thinking of recipes and thought of a simple one to try. Below, you will find my recipe for Apple Fall Bakes (Apples stuffed with pumpkin and topped with granola). This recipe makes four baked apples. These are a perfect dessert, or a side dish. 

For this recipe, you will need:

1 packet of Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

1.25 ounces of almonds, crushed

2 TBSP of Butter

2 cups of pureed pumpkin

1 TSP Cinnamon

2 TBSP Brown sugar or honey

4 Apples

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, cut the tops off of each apple, just a thin cut.

Next, using a melon baller, scoop out the inside of the apples out. Leave about 1/4" on all sides. Do not scoop all the way down to the bottom, or your filling will leak out while cooking.

If you cut them too thin, it is ok. Just keep in mind that they will likely split in cooking. 

Combine one packet of oatmeal (we prefer Maple and Brown Sugar) and 1.25 ounces of crushed almonds in a backing sheet. Add in 2 TBSP of melted butter and toss it all together. Place this in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.

Remove the granola topping from the oven.

To two cups of pureed pumpkin, add 1/2 TSP of cinnamon, and 2 TBSP of brown sugar (honey may be used as a substitute). Mix thoroughly.

Fill each hollowed apple with the pumpkin filling, leaving about 1/4 inch on the top.

Once the apples are filled, place them on a baking pan. and top with granola topping.

Sprinkle with cinnamon to your liking.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Once they are out, allow them to cool slightly, and serve. They would be great served with homemade whipped topping or ice cream. I hope your family enjoys them as much as ours!