Hello, Autumn! Hello, Baked Apples!

Jorth sat in front of the fortune teller, who was waving her hands ethereally around her crystal ball. "Tell me!", said Jorth eagerly. "What do you see? Unimaginable riches? Unprecedented bouts of good fortune? Little ol' me as a harbinger for world peace?"

"Er, no." said the fortune teller in a puzzled voice as she gazed deep into her ball. "What I am seeing is lots of knitting, and being tucked up into bed early on chilly nights reading Jane Austen, and madcap running around parks catching autumn leaves. And food - so much food! Baked apples, and pumpkin soup, and roasted vegetable lasagnes, and barley risottos smothered in lashings of Parmesan cheese."

Jorth plunked down her money with a satisfied grin. "Well, that's certainly good enough for me!" she said as she exited the incense filled tent.

Baked Apples

6 cooking apples (I used Royal Galas, but Granny Smiths would be good, too)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
12 dates, chopped roughly
40g cold butter, diced
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 - Preheat your oven to 180 C, and core your apples. You could make life easy for yourself by using an apple corer, but if you are like me and don't possess one, then carefully cut out the core using a small, sharp knife. But be careful you don't cut yourself - it can get a bit tricky when your hands become slippery with apple juice! Cut a ring into the outside of each apple, which helps stop them from exploding in the oven.

2 - Mix together the sugar, walnuts, dates, butter and cinnamon, then squish an equal amount into each apple. Place the apples into a baking dish lined with baking paper.

3 - Cook for 40 - 50 minutes, or until the apples are beautifully wrinkly and baked all the way through. Serve with the juices, vanilla ice cream, or as much cream as your heart can handle!