Baked apples are a favorite treat and comfort food in Trentino–Alto Adige as they are here. This recipe emphasizes the treat aspect, since the apples are draped with melted chocolate, chopped walnuts, and Amarena cherries. Many apple varieties are good bakers, including Cameo, Cortland, Empire, Jonagold, Northern Spy, and Rome. Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are always reliable, too.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　6 large, firm baking apples (about 7 ounces each), any of the varieties mentioned in the headnote above

　　2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

　　2 tablespoons sugar

　　6 cinnamon sticks

　　6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

　　1/2 cup heavy cream

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

　　3/4 cup Amarena cherries in syrup, drained

　　

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

A 3-quart baking dish or shallow casserole

　　

Step 1

Heat the oven to 375°.

　　

Step 2

Core the apples, and put them in the baking dish. Drop 1/2 teaspoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and a cinnamon stick in the center hollow of each apple.

　　

Step 3

Pour 1/2 cup hot water in the bottom of the dish, and cover the dish with a sheet of aluminum foil. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until the apples have softened and released their juices. Remove the foil, and bake the apples another 10 minutes or so, to brown their tops. Remove from the oven, and let cool briefly. Pour the juices from the baking dish into a small saucepan, heat to a boil, and cook until syrupy.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, put the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Stir occasionally as the chocolate begins to melt, and continue to stir until completely smooth. Turn off the heat, stir in the salt, and keep the sauce warm.

　　

Step 5

To serve: Arrange each apple on a dessert plate and drizzle over it some of the thickened apple juice. Spoon chocolate sauce on top, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle walnuts on each apple, surround it with a few cherries, and serve immediately.

　　Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2009 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Lidia Mattichio Bastianich is the author of four previous books, three of them accompanied by nationally syndicated public television series. She is the owner of the New York City restaurant Felidia (among others), and she lectures on and demonstrates Italian cooking throughout the country. She lives on Long Island, New York.Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Lidia’s daughter, received her Ph.D. in Renaissance history from Oxford University. Since 1996 she has led food/wine/art tours. She lives with her husband and children on Long Island.