Nutty Baked Apple with Maple Syrup

• Sponsor: Calgary.isGreen
• Author: Marinus Hoogendoorn

Prep-time: 5 min       Cooking time: 20 min        Calories: 451.2

Apples are high on the list of ant-oxidant foods and the highest levels of ant-oxidants can be found just under the skin. It’s a good idea, therefore, to leave the skin on and keep them as natural as possible. Halving them saves cooking time but also allows the flesh to absorb more flavors from the cinnamon and lemon in this recipe.

Ingredients      (Serves 4)

• 4 large apples
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 cup maple syrup
• ½ cup chopped roasted nuts (any nuts of your liking)
• Pinch of salt

Method

• Pre-heat an oven to 400 F
• If you have not got roasted nuts, you can roast your own by chopping up raw nuts and grilling them, or frying them in a frying pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Be aware when they roast – they turn very brown very quickly – so keep a close eye on them, and keep stirring them if you are using the frying pan method.
• Cut the apples in half and remove the core with a potato baller. Place them cut side up on an oven proof baking dish.
• Combine the sugar with the cinnamon powder in a bowl.
• Fill the space created by removing the core with chopped roasted nuts
• Sprinkle the sugar/ cinnamon mix over the apples and lastly half of the lemon juice.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven.
• Remove the apples from the oven and place them on a serving dish or individual plates.
• Warm the maple syrup in a small sauce pan with the remainder of the lemon juice and balance chopped nuts.
• Bring this mix to a soft boil and spoon over the apples.
• Serve warm.

Nutritional values are manually calculated and based on the ingredients specified.

Nutritional value per serving:

• Calories: 451.2
• Fat: 10.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.0 g
• Sodium: 7.6 mg
• Carbohydrate 84.7 g
• Protein: 2.8 g
• Dietary fiber: 6.4 g