Stuffed Baked Apples with Toasted Meringue

A sexy spin on a homey dessert

Apr 26, 2024

∙ Paid

I originally conceived of this recipe as an alternative Passover Seder dessert, but then I realized I got the dates wrong, and that Seder would be a distant memory by the time this week’s newsletter reached you. Lucky for us, these adorable baked apples with a sexy top hat of creamy meringue are perfect for anytime. If you do happen to be keeping Passover, though, these are 100% allowed.

Why am I sharing an apple dessert in spring when apples are a fall fruit? Well, I think we all know that apples are pretty much a year-round affair, so let’s enjoy them while we wait for summer fruit to arrive, shall we?

In any case, I have always loved baked apples and whenever I make them, I’m reminded of this fact and I wonder why I don't make them more often. They are usually a homey, if not homely, dessert — not usually the type of thing you’d serve to company. But I have long fantasized about piling up some glossy, fluffy meringue on top. I had a bee in my bonnet about it and just had to try it, and I was not wrong. They are just fancy enough with their meringue toques to serve to guests, but could also be a delightful indulgence for a weeknight because they aren’t at all difficult to execute. And they’re So. Much. Fun.

A melon baller works best to scoop out the insides of the apples. Make sure not to scoop all the way to the bottom.

The apples are perfectly delicious without the meringue. If you want to reduce the overall sweetness, you can cut the brown sugar in the filling down to 2 tablespoons.

For best results, I suggest baking the apples about an hour or two before you want to serve them. Keep them at room temperature then reheat them at 325℉ for 20 or 30 minutes before piping and toasting the meringue. I wrote the recipe without this step as it’s not a must, but if you have the time, I recommend it! You could also bake the apples a day or two ahead of time, taking them out of the fridge for an hour and then reheating according to the directions above. They are perfectly fine at room temperature too, but I do think warm is the way to go, so you can enjoy the aroma of the spices and the warm baked apples. So comforting. I also tried reheating the already-topped apples, and that worked too, but the meringue did start to dry out a bit.

If you don't want to pipe the meringue, you could just swoop it on using the back of a small spoon or an offset spatula. I just love how the ridges get brown, which is why I chose to pipe mine. They will be beautiful and deliciously comforting either way.

Another Passover-friendly dessert

For those keeping Passover, might I remind you that my Coconut Macaroons are another sweet treat you could indulge in over the coming days?