Since it is October and I am cooking my German Menu this month, I was looking for a new dessert. I have loved baked apples since I was a kid growing up on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula having an apple orchard just outside the door. I was perusing Mimi Sheraton’s “The German Cookbook” (first published in 1965) and came across a recipe for “Überbackene Marzipanäpfel” – which translates roughly to “Baked Marzipan Apples.”
When the recipe suggested smushing rum into the marzipan, I was hooked. Since this was to be a dessert for the restaurant, I wanted some “schoolboy” sized apples. Considerations were both for presentation and cooking time.
Next I flattened the bottom so the would sit upright and removed about half of the peel.
Then I prepared the marzipan stuffing. I used a fork to work Meyer’s Rum into the marzipan until it was pretty pliable. Finally, I added some Zante currants. The stuffing was absolutely delicious!
Next I cored the apples taking care to remove the seeds but not puncture the bottom of the apple. I added a bit of butter, then the filling followed by more butter.
I found a pan large enough to hold them upright but not overcrowd them. I add off-dry Riesling to a depth of about 1/2 an inch.
I baked them in a 350° oven for about an hour. They are done when the apple is soft and the tops are brown. Below is the lovely finished product with some vanilla ice cream headed for the table.
