Tempting and Easy Baked Apple Recipe

There's nothing I enjoy cooking and eating more than a freshly made baked apple. This fruit is at its peak in the fall in the northern hemisphere. Going apple picking or shopping at a farmer's market for in-season fruit is a fun way for us to stock up. 

For information about the most popular apple varieties in the U.S., and the states were they are grown, click the link.

This blog post offers healthy and simple food prep ideas and tips to make serving baked apples a cozy, delicious autumn treat. 

A warm, cinnamon-spiked baked apple tastes scrumptious. In my house, it's considered a special dessert. 

Another reason it's awesome is it's sweet, yet contains no added refined sugar. 

Eating foods that are high in added sugar increases heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and inflammation. High-sugar diets have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Note: This post is intended for information and entertainment purposes only, and not meant as nutritional or health advice.

Baked apples vary in taste, depending on what type of apple is used, but no need to fret about selecting the right type of apple. Why not use a few different kinds and see which ones entice you?

When apples bake in the oven, they produce a comforting scent of cinnamon and apple pie, and time spent making it is an aromatic delight. 

Purchase locally grown apples or grow your own, whenever possible. I like to use in-season Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Gala, as those apples are delicious when they are fresh as well as retain crunchiness, even after they are cooked.

This time I used organic Swee Tango apples, organic Thompson raisins, and a splash of unsweetened organic grape juice. 

I serve baked apples, when I want to a simple, attractive, nutritious, and delicious dessert for a weekday or weekend meal. 

I use organic apples and other fruits and veggies, because it's important to me that the foods I eat and serve to others are as pesticide free as possible. 

Organic apples have great flavor. Organic farming doesn't pollute soil, water, or air, and is a healthy dish my whole family raves about. 

Baked apples can be portioned out individually, and are an inviting dish to eat for regular meals or special occasions. Look at photo below to see items I used to core and bake an individual baked apple portion.

Note: I am mindful of my energy usage, and do not turn on the oven to bake just one apple. I fill my oven with other dishes and cook them all at the same time.

Tempting and Easy Baked Apples

Ingredients:

4-6 whole organic apples of your choosing. Clean well, but do not remove apple skins. Apple peel contains nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber that's lost, if the outer skin is removed. See details at Healthline.)

½ teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon  per apple(some may want to add an optional warm spice like ginger or nutmeg). I keep it simple and just use Ceylon cinnamon 

1/4 cup organic grape or other 100 percent all fruit juice or apple cider per apple

1/2 inch fresh water to cover bottom of casserole or a baking or roasting pan

1/4 cup of organic Thompson seedless raisins per apple, ones that have been plumped

Additional ingredients are up to you

Note: Bring on the creativity by adding one or two of these: unsalted nuts, raw seeds, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, ground nutmeg, or juice sweetened dried cherries, or juice sweetened dried cranberries. Relax to customize the apple variety and fillings that suit you best.

What to Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Find a casserole or baking dish that has a cover. 

2. Make sure baking dish with lid is big enough for apples to fit inside in an upright position.

3. Wash and prep apples. Slice off tops of apples by cutting across horizontally. Then core each one. 

foreground left then counterclockwise: small long handed spoon, apple coring tool, paring knife, plumped raisins, top of apple, grape juice, ramekin with cover, Ceylon cinnamon, apple and pieces of the core of a Sweet Tango apple

Tip: Remove the core of the apple with a sharp paring knife or apple corer by carefully cutting off the top of the apple horizontally. Slice around the top core of the apple, making sure not to go all the way through to the bottom. Then pull out what you cut. Use a spoon to scoop out the rest, and check that all seeds are out. Use any small sharp spoon or even a melon baller to do it.

4. Place water into the bottom of a casserole or baking dish. Remove apple tops and fill the center scooped out part of the apple with cinnamon, fruit juice, raisins, and optional ingredients of you choosing. Place all apples and their tops in the dish or pan and cover.

5. Bake for at least 30-40 minutes. Test apple doneness after 20-25 minutes and baste if apple or casserole seems to be getting dry. Use water or extra juice for the liquid; if you're counting calories remember the juice adds calories and extra natural sugar.

6. After apples are done, take them out of oven. Serve warm or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

You may enjoy complementing the recipe by topping each apple with cashew cream or vegan ice cream. Perhaps you'd like to sprinkle on shredded coconut or even trail mix. This recipe is so flexible. It's suitable to serve to a solo eater, small family, or multiplied for a larger gathering.

My family loves this dessert so much, we usually eat it all the first time I serve it. If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, refrigerate in an airtight container and serve within a day or two.

Extra baked apples may be stored in the freezer in airtight freezer containers for up to three months. When you're ready to eat the baked apples, thaw in refrigerator, and heat and serve.

Baked apples are bursting with the flavors of autumn, and this easy to make vegan dish is a pleasure to cook and serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Do you think you'd like to try my baked apple recipe and/or do you have one of your own?

Please comment below.

What kind of apples are your favorite variety and how often do you include apples in your weekly eating plan? 

Did you know:

According to recent data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 10 percent of the U.S. adult population eats their minimum daily nutritional requirement of fruits and vegetables.

Do you eat at least 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables daily? Please share below.

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I post on the 1st and 15th of each month. See the post archives for recipes, food tips, self-care subjects, and color and healing energy information. Please come back again to get a fresh perspective at the place where colors and a healthy lifestyle intersect.

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Jewish New Year Vegan Sweet Noodle Kugel

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), is the first of the High Holy Days. It honors God and the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, and all other creatures, places, and things.

 

Jews around the globe acknowledge this time with religious observances, celebratory family meals, prayers, and introspection. 

 

This year Rosh Hashanah starts at sunset on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 and ends at nightfall on Friday, October 4, 2024.

During a 10 day period or Days of Awe (Oct. 2-12) Jews pray for repentance for wrongdoings committed during the year, forgiveness, and patience to wait while the Book of Life is sealed (God makes decisions at this time about who will live another year).

 

L'shanah Tovah is a Hebrew phrase that means for a good year, and it's commonly used as a greeting during Rosh Hashanah, the  Jewish New Year, and Days of Awe.
 

 

Yom Kippur begins at sunset on Friday, October 11, 2024 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, October 12, 2024. No work is permitted, as it is the most solemn of Jewish religious holidays. 

Jews attend religious services, reflect, pray, fast, and seek atonement for sins. At sundown, families and friends gather to eat together to break the fast.

 

The Jewish High Holidays are often associated with a lack of food from fasting. However, these holidays involve a bountiful meal at Rosh Hashanah, a large meal before the fast during Yom Kippur, and in my house, a buffet style break-fast meal after the fast.

As this blog post suggests, it features holiday information and a recipe for Vegan Sweet Noodle Kugel. Kugel is simply a casserole, and in the Jewish tradition, a casserole built around a specific food. In this case it's noodles.

Vegan Sweet Noodle Kugel

Noodle kugel is traditionally made with egg noodles, but this vegan version uses egg-free noodles (if they are available or any bite sized egg free pasta you enjoy). 

Vegan Sweet Noodle Kugel

 

This noodle kugel recipe is vegan, and a wonderful dish to serve as a flavorful dessert, or sweet side dish during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, or to break the fast after Yom Kippur.

 

Ingredients for Sweet Noodle Kugel:

8-12 oz. egg-free vegan elbow noodles or egg-free pasta including any egg-free variety like the farfalle I used

8-12 oz. soft or silken organic tofu

2 teaspoons maple syrup (this vegan sweetener replaces honey, a non-vegan sweetening ingredient)

1/2 cup dark or golden raisins that have been plumped

2 medium sized apples peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup non-dairy milk. Any variety that's unflavored and unsweetened works Note: Use extra milk, if casserole seems to get too dry in cooking

1 cup (8 oz.) homemade vegan cashew cream Note: See ingredients and recipe for cashew cream below.

What to Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Cook the egg-free noodles or egg-free pasta according to package directions (cook al dente, until pasta is cooked but remains firm). Drain off water and set aside.

2. Take the tofu out of its package and drain the tofu like this. Then cut it into 3 or 4 pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mash until fine (if you prefer you can use a food processor to do this.). 

3. Stir in the vegan cashew cream (recipe below). Then cut apples into small chunks and put them in too. Slowly add non-dairy milk, vanilla, and unrefined sweetener (maple syrup). Use a drop or two of lemon juice, to prevent apples from turning brown.

4. Get a shallow round or rectangular 2or 3 quart casserole dish, and lightly oil it. Add the cooked noodles, cashew cream, and remaining ingredients and mix with a spoon. 

5.Bake the kugel for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden. Let the kugel rest for 15 minutes before serving. This dish is good served at room temperature too.

 

Recipe for Homemade Sweet Vegan Cashew Cream

Cashews are incredibly versatile and healthy to keep on hand in the vegan and raw vegan kitchen.  

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews that have been pre- soaked for 2-4 hrs. Soaking cashews will make them soft and easier to chop, even in a low speed blender or food processor. Please note the time it takes cashews to soften will vary depending on the freshness of the cashews

2 ripe bananas peeled

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (adds an overall wonderful flavor)

½ cup of water

½ cup almond milk

pinch of salt to meld the flavors

What to Do:

1. Place cashews into a bowl and cover with cool water and let soak for 2 to 4 hours in refrigerator.

2. Once you’ve pre-soaked the cashews, pour off water and simply add cashews, along with the bananas, vanilla, and non-dairy milk and water to the cup of your favorite blender or food processor. Blend until creamy, stopping every so often to scrape down the sides as needed. Add more milk if necessary, to make mixture the consistency you like best.

Refrigerate extra cashew cream and use within 2-3 days in oatmeal and/or on fruit as a topping. 

 

Now back to the Sweet Vegan Noodle Kugel

When kugel is cooked and ready to eat serve with massaged kale salad or extra veggies. Amp up the protein with a protein rich veg and bean soup for a festive, yet hearty meal.

In my vegan kitchen the high holidays are acknowledged in a healthy, whole food plant-based way with kugel and other dishes that are low fat, low sodium, and naturally sweetened.

Sweet foods including honey and challah (sweet bread made with eggs and sugar) are traditional symbols of hope for a sweet Jewish New Year. 

I choose whole plant-based foods instead of these ingredients, and my holidays become happier and healthier without sacrificing taste.

I'm grateful to have learned it's easy to update traditional holiday ingredients with vegan staples. Plant-based whole foods improve mood as well as contain nutrients I won't be able to get if I use more traditional ingredients. 

My menu is colorful, flavorful, and delights friends and family, no matter what eating plan they follow. 

Did you know anything about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur before you read this post? I'm curious about that, and hope you will comment below.

If you celebrate these holidays, what favorite foods do you serve your family and friends? Please explain below.

Did you learn something new by reading this post? I'd love to know that too.

Thanks for visiting and please come back again.

Wishing family, friends, and readers of Colors 4 Health a happy healthy autumn. If you celebrate the Jewish New Year...

L'shanah Tovah!!!

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