Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR, and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love it when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Are you looking for a tasty dessert dish that you can serve up during the

Holiday Stuffed Apples season that’s easy, sweet, hearty, and fills the air with
an aroma that starts your mouth watering christmas? A baked apple might be the
way to go!

They are perfect as a treat, a dessert, for sitting around a fire ring,
and for topping with your favorite ice cream if desired. Baked apples
can be prepped in a short time and the cooking process is a snap.
Plus, they are very versatile and wide open for you to tweak to add
your touch to the recipe.

Cooking with Apples

Every grocery store carries Red Delicious Holiday Stuffed Apples! They have a long shelf
life, are eye-catching, are perfect for rinsing and eating whole for
a quick snack. But, they are not the best for baking! Red Delicious
apples break down when cooked and some chefs say they quickly lose
their flavor when heated.

So, skip the Red Delicious! But no worries – there are plenty of other
apples to choose from when making stuffed baked apples, or even an
apple pie. According to the US Holiday Stuffed Apples Association, there are over 100
apple varieties grown in the United States. They list some of the
most popular as being the Pink Lady, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden
Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and – yes – the Red
Delicious.

So what apple is best for baking? I prefer going with an apple that
holds its texture when cooked and those would be Jonagolds, Granny
Smith, Honeycrisp, Melrose, Braeburn, and Cortland

This recipe comes from my research when working on my Tennessee Hometown
Cookbook and my Georgia Hometown Cookbook.

Ingredients:
4-5 large apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup butter, warmed but not liquid
1 cup oats
Crushed pecans, or buttered candied pecans

Directions:
First, – preheat the oven to 350 degrees and gather a rimmed baking sheet or
baking dish, a large bowl, and your ingredients. Next, rinse and
slice to top off of each apple, and then core them. Make the cavity
large enough but not so large that the outer Holiday Stuffed Apples wall is flimsy.

Dice – the cored pieces into small bits while removing any seeds or
remaining stem pieces. Place in a large bowl and mix with the brown
sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and cornstarch.

Combine – the oats with the butter in a bowl, mix well to evenly coat, and add
to the apple mixture. Spoon the mixture evenly into each apple and
place them on the baking pan or dish. You can also bake the tops if
desired. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the filling bubbles –
sprinkle with your pecans if desired and cook an additional 5
minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on apple size, oven, etc.

Allow the hot apples to rest for a few minutes before serving. A scoop of
vanilla ice cream is a perfect topping! Feel free to tweak as desired
– some people love adding raisins and cranberries to the mix. I
hope this recipe is something you can add to your Holiday Stuffed Apples and

Christmas menu!