Posted by: Nancy Skee

READY FOR A LITTLE EASY BAKING FOR THE COOLER WEATHER?

I love it when the season begins to change and fall brings a crispness to the air.

Makes me want to get out some recipes and turn on the oven. These little "apple pies" look like they'd take a lot of work, but it's easier than you think. If you can scoop the insides from and apple, cook some apple chucks on the stove top, and slice up some ready-made pie crust, you're there!

This is a fun recipe - you can bake them right before serving or have them done the night before. Serve them up warm or cold. I like to dust them with powdered sugar, or even better, some whipped cream. Give it a shot!

LATTICE BAKED APPLES

Preheat oven to 375. Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 5 large apples
• 2 T butter
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T water or orange juice
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• Optional: dried cranberries, dried cherries, walnuts, pecans, etc. You probably don't need more than 1/3c. total of any extra ingredients. Just depends on what you like.
• One sheet of refrigerated UNBAKED pie crust. Make it easy on yourself.
• 1 beaten egg mixed with about a T water. You'll brush this on the pastry after placing it.

Procedure:

1. Slice off the tops of 4 of the apples and scoop out some of the insides. I leave a pretty thick wall so the apple keeps its shape when it cooks, but you do want to get the core out. A melon baller works best to scoop, or you can cut around the insides with a small paring knife.You can put these in a square pan or on a baking sheet, or really, whatever you have.
2. Save the pieces that aren't the core. Those will get thrown into the mix.
3. Peel and chop up the other apple. I find that the scooped out insides aren't enough to fill the apples you're going to bake.
4. Put the butter, sugar, cinnamon, water or juice, and chopped up apples in a pan or small pot and cook them on low for about 10-15 minutes. Throw in your optionals if you want them. If you need a little more liquid, add some more. This isn't an exacting recipe; you have a lot of leeway because what you're basically doing is putting something together to put into the hollowed out fruit.
5. When it's ready, spoon it evenly into the apples.
6. Unroll the pie crust and cut strips of dough and put them on the apples in a lattice-y pattern. See how the pic looks? I do them 2 x 3.
7. Brush the pastry with egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes until the crust is golden. Delish!