Sweet Comfort

On Monday I shared a recipe for potato and apple latkes, one of my favorite savory comfort foods. Now I am ready to share with you my absolute favorite sweet comfort food item. Any guesses as to what my favorite sweet comfort item might be? Chocolate? Well, I do love chocolate and can hardly refuse it in most cases, but it is not my favorite sweet comfort. Cheesecake, freshly baked cookies, or cinnamon rolls? Oh yes, I love those all, but none are my first choice. Of all the sweet comfort food items on a menu, anything with baked apples reigns supreme. Apple pie, apple streusel, apple dumplings, apple tarts, well, you get the idea. Baked apples, warmed and scented with spices, touch my soul in a way no other treat can do. Here’s the best part: when I crave a warm apple dessert, I can whip up a batch of the dessert below in next to no time flat. All I need is a half dozen apples or so, a touch of butter, cinnamon and nutmeg, and a dusting of sugar to create dessert nirvana. I am quite certain my boys have inherited my “baked apple” gene, since this simple (and healthful) dessert has them excited every time I make batch. Simple Baked Apples 6 large apples (we like any semi-sweet/tart apple or even a Gala apple for this) 1 tablespoon butter, melted ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons white sugar Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel and core the apples, then slice. Place in a 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle the butter on top, followed by the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sugar. Gently stir the apples to fully coat each apple with the spice, sugar and butter mixture. Cover with foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Serves 3-4, or less if you have a family full of apple lovers like us. SPC