Thanksgiving Idea 1: Stuffed Autumn Apples

Tonight, we had our second cooking group meeting. It was very successful. About 20 ladies came! Two wonderful ladies demonstrated their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and roll recipes. It was so fun to be able to learn new cooking techniques and recipes from them. I thought I could cook! These ladies were just amazing! They presented their recipes like professional chefs on food network! :) We got to enjoy all the food that were demonstrated in the end. Everything was so delicious!

I plan to share these recipes with you throughout the week until Thanksgiving. I know a lot of people struggle trying to figure out what they are going to make for Thanksgiving supper. Some people like to stick to their tried-and-true recipes. Some people like to try new things. Some, both. So here is the first Thanksgiving idea for you.

Allow me to introduce you to this great fall, Thanksgiving recipe, "Stuffed Autumn Apples" How do you stuff an apple? I wondered the same thing. It's not hard at all. So don't worry. This wonderful fall dish can be a delicious side dish or a sweet dessert. Tricia, one of the ladies that demonstrated in our cooking group tonight added homemade caramel on top of these stuffed apples - and let me tell you, it was fantastic!

Stuffed Autumn Apples 

Recipe from Tricia Stainbrook

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Use large sweet baking apples such as Golden Delicious, Gala, or seasonal speialty apples such as Ambrosia or Pink Ladies

1/3 cup apple juice or cider per apple
1 teaspoon butter per apple
1 teaspoon brown sugar per apple
1/8 teaspoon almond extract per apple
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon per apple
1-2 tablespoons dried cranberries per apple
1-2 tablespoons dried chopped apricots per apple
1-2 tablespoons chopped pecans per apple

1/4 cup grnola or 1/2 a crumbled oatmeal cookie per apple

Direction:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut 1/8 inch from top of apples. Remove core, cutting to, but not through bottom of apple Hollow out apple leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell, and reserving apple dlesh for filling. Place apples in baking dish, and fill each apple with juice or cider. Bake for 15-20 miutes until apples are slightly tender. Drain, discard juice or cider.

In saucepan combine apple flesh, butter, brown sugar, brancerries, apricots, almond extract, and cinnamon. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minute, or until apple is tender. Spoon into prepared apples, top with granola or crumbled oatmeal rasin cookie.

If you want it sweet like a dessert, drizzle caramel over the apples.

Tricia's Homemade Caramel

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter

Simmer the sugar and water for about two minutes. Add the butter and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Sook the Cook