Apple pie is a classic fall favourite but it can be time consuming to prepare the pastry and assemble the pie. Apple slices baked with warming spices, raisins, nuts and a brandy-brown sugar sauce make a simple and delicious alternative for people who don’t like or can’t eat traditional flour-based pastry.
What is Calvados?
Calvados is a brandy made from apples in the Normandy region of Northern France. The apples are distilled, aged in barrels and blended to produce a dry spirit that is typically about 40% alcohol (the alcohol will burn off during cooking). Calvados is made with a variety of apples and is aged for at least two years. However, like cognac and scotch, it can be aged for much longer, resulting in a smoother, richer flavour and a price tag to match. Calvados can usually be found in well-stocked liquor stores in the brandy section. If it is unavailable, use regular brandy, scotch or whiskey instead.
Baked Apples with Apple Brandy Sauce
Makes 4 to 6 servings
For the Sauce:
- ¼ cup (half a stick) unsalted butter
- 5 Tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar (also called golden or yellow sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup non-alcoholic apple cider or apple juice
- ¼ cup Calvados, brandy, scotch or whiskey
For the Apples:
- 6 medium crisp, tart apples such as Cortland, McIntosh or Granny Smith (each weighing about 6.5 to 7 oz. / 185 to 200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 Tablespoon white sugar
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, divided in half
- ½ cup raisins, divided in half
- Butter or cooking spray to grease a baking dish
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 1.5 quart (6 cup/1.4 litre) baking dish and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the butter on medium-high until it has melted. Stir in the brown sugar and salt until smooth.
- Add the vanilla, apple cider and Calvados. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook until it has reduced and thickened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
- While the sauce is reducing, prepare the apples: Peel them with a sharp knife and use an apple corer* to remove the cores, making sure all parts of the core and seeds are gone. Discard the cores and cut the apples into large chunks (will equal about 6 cups of apple chunks). *if you don’t have a corer, use a knife to slice pieces off, stopping short of the core.
- Place the apple slices in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the spices with the white sugar. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the apples and mix with clean hands until the apples are evenly coated.
- Lay half of the apple chunks in the bottom of the greased baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with half of the walnuts and half of the raisins. Top with the remaining apples and sprinkle with the rest of the nuts and raisins.
- Pour the sauce over the apple mixture. Cover and bake until the apples are tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Spoon some of the sauce over the apples when serving and top with ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream if desired.
Trish Coleman - Trish grew up in a small town in New Brunswick, Canada and her family ate fresh home cooked meals every night. Her family grew most of ...
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