This autumn, thanks to Monty Don I learnt that MOH really rather likes baked apples. You'd think having lived together since 2002 I might have known this, or he might have mentioned it before. But as Monty was wrapping his bakers in foil and placing them on the bonfire MOH said he quite liked a baked apple.

Nothing revolutionary there I know. And I'm not against a baked apple either, it's just I never think to cook one. I prefer my Bramleys as Apple Compote á la Hugh F-W for breakfast with yogurt or as a Kentish Apple Cake like this one from Sarah Raven.

So being the dutiful wife that I am, and thinking how hard can a baked apple be I thought I'd give it a go.

Hmmmnn.

It started so well.

I had some cooking apples from my Dad's recent visit. He and the lady up the road have a marrow for apples swap going on, which seems like a good deal to me. Look how shiny they were.

1. Check. They fit into my enamel pie dishes.

2. The core is removed.

3. The cavity is stuffed with sultanas and some soft brown sugar.

4. Covered with foil and ready for the oven.

And then. Fail.

So we had baked apples tonight. Or rather exploded apples, I forgot to score the circumference, so I'll be trying again then!
Posted by Life at 139a on Wednesday, 7 October 2015

I forgot to score the circumference. So instead of baked apples, we had exploded apples, and I've never been more grateful for foil or else I'd be cleaning the oven... We ate them, but really there wasn't much there. Just as well we had ice cream too.

So as MOH likes Baked Apples I thought I'd try again.

And this time I learnt from my previous mistake. I scored the circumference.

So how did it go?

Well these ones looked more like Baked Apples but still still weren't right.

Again we ate them but I've not achieved a passable Baked Apple. I might just need to resort to a recipe, unless you've got tips for where I'm going wrong - please let me know, because MOH really likes Baked Apples, and it seems I'm unable to cook a decent one!