Description
Homemade baked apples with blue cheese and honey delight create elegant dessert magic for sophisticated palates. Rich flavors blend seamlessly, offering sophisticated sweetness complemented by sharp cheese notes you can savor with pure culinary pleasure.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 apples (ripe but firm), halved and cored
- 1 cup (150 g/5.3 oz) blue cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup (150 g/5.3 oz) dried cranberries
- 2 tbsps (30 ml/1 fl oz) honey
- 1 tbsp (15 ml/0.5 fl oz) olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, fresh
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Walnuts, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C), creating an ideal baking environment for the apples.
- Apple Preparation: Halve the apples and delicately remove cores using a melon baller, creating perfect cavities for filling.
- Seasoning and Positioning: Arrange apple halves cut-side up in a baking dish, lightly brushing with olive oil to promote even cooking and prevent drying.
- Cheese and Fruit Layering: Generously fill apple cavities with crumbled blue cheese and sprinkle dried cranberries, ensuring a harmonious blend of flavors and textures.
- Baking Process: Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, monitoring until apples soften and cheese melts completely.
- Final Touches: Once removed from the oven, drizzle honey over warm apples, garnish with fresh thyme leaves, and season with a delicate pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serving Recommendation: Enhance the dish by scattering chopped walnuts on top, then serve immediately while warm to maximize flavor complexity and textural contrast.
Notes
- Cheese Selection Matters: Choose a high-quality, creamy blue cheese with bold flavor to elevate the entire dish’s complexity.
- Apple Variety Tip: Select firm, slightly tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp that hold their shape during baking and complement the blue cheese’s richness.
- Precise Baking Watch: Monitor apple tenderness carefully between 15-20 minutes to prevent overcooking, ensuring a perfect balance between softness and structural integrity.
- Flavor Enhancement Technique: Toast walnuts briefly before sprinkling to intensify their nutty profile and add deeper aromatic notes to the final presentation.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg