Name: Stuffed apples with hazelnuts and vanilla ice cream
Prep time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: makes 6 apples
Cuisine: Slovenian
Ingredients: 100 g sugar; 120 g walnuts; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 7 apples; 40 g unsalted butter; 70 g unsalted butter, melted; 1 tsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp calvados or any other brandy; 100 g brown sugar; 80 g ground hazelnuts; 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder; 1/2 tsp ginger powder; 1/2 tsp cloves powder; 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder; 6 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Stuffed apples with hazelnuts and vanilla ice cream

Delicious, delicious, oh, so delicious. Hot, but cold. Nutty, but fruity. Soft baked apples, buttery stuffing, and fresh, cold ice cream. Perfect, truly perfect. These are the most delicious, hazelnut and apple stuffed baked apples, served with cold ice cream + walnut crocant topping. This dish contains two of the most delicious ingredients of each summer and fall. Yes, I am talking about baked apples and ice cream. These two are a match made in heaven and this recipe is easy to make, quick and delicious as well. We serve those both for a quick midweek or weekend dessert, or even for bigger gatherings, like birthdays or holidays. Love, love love it.

Ingredients

walnut crocant

100 g sugar

120 g walnuts

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

stuffed apples with hazelnuts

7 apples

40 g unsalted butter

70 g unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp calvados or any other brandy

100 g brown sugar

80 g ground hazelnuts

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp cloves powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

6 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Tools and equipment

saucepan

plate

baking paper

bowl

baking dish

METHOD

crocant

Add sugar to a saucepan and place over medium high heat. Stir the saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Cook to brown, caramel color. Add the walnuts and baking soda. Stir well, remove from the heat and spread over a plate, covered with baking paper. Let it cool. Once cooled blitz to get a nice powder.
apple cubes

Preheat the oven to 170 °C / 340°F. Rinse and dry one apple. Cut it on very small cubes. Add 40g / 1.4 oz of butter to a saucepan and let it melt. Add the apple cubes and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit.
hazelnut stuffing

In a small bowl combine 70g / 2.5 oz of melted butter with lemon juice and calvados, or any other brandy. In a separate small bowl combine the brown sugar, ground hazelnuts, pinch of salt, cinnamon powder, cloves powder, ginger powder and nutmeg powder. Add the melted butter mixture and cooked apple cubes. Stir well.
baking and serve

Rinse and dry your apples. Use a paring knife to cut out the core of the apples, creating a hole that’s about 5 cm / 2 inches wide. Be careful not to cut through the bottom of the apples. Place the apples in a baking dish. Stuff the hazelnut mixture into the apples, place in the oven and bake for about 15 - 25 minutes or until the apples are tender. Let cool slightly, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream and sprinkle of walnut crocant.