Baked Apples with Calvados Sauce

• 4 apples of the ‘Adams Pearmain’ or ‘Reines des Reinettes’ variety, or similar Russet apples
• unsalted butter50 г г

  melted

• fine sugar4 ст. л. ст. л.
• fine sugar50 г г
• unsalted butter20 г г
• Braeburn apple↗40 г г

  peeled, diced into 5 mm cubes

• apple juice↗80 мл мл
• arrowroot starch½ ч. л. ч. л.

  dissolved in a small amount of water

• Calvados↗1 ч. л. ч. л.
• brown bread15 г г

  cut into small cubes

• powdered sugar↗15 г г
• pistachios↗15 г г

  nuts

• whole almonds↗10 г г
• almond slices↗5 г г
• Calvados↗1–2 ч. л. ч. л.

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (140 °C with convection, to prevent the apple skins from cracking and ensure the interior cooks evenly). Trim the uneven stems from the apples without removing too much flesh. Using a small knife, cut out the core, leaving the stem.

2. 2

   Grease a shallow baking dish with some of the melted butter and sprinkle it with fine sugar. Brush each apple with the remaining butter, then roll them in the leftover sugar. Place the apples in the dish and bake for 30 minutes.

3. 3

   While the apples bake, make the sauce: in a heavy saucepan over medium heat melt the sugar until it turns a dark golden caramel. Add the butter and the diced apples, cook for 30 seconds without stirring, covering with a spoon. Pour in the apple juice and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in the arrowroot starch dissolved in water, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the Calvados.

4. 4

   For the garnish, combine the bread cubes with half of the powdered sugar and spread them on a tray. In a separate bowl mix the pistachios, whole almonds, almond slices, the remaining powdered sugar and 1–2 tsp of Calvados, stirring until homogeneous. Add this mixture to the bread cubes, distribute evenly on the tray and bake for 8–10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the nuts and bread turn golden. Cool.

5. 5

   To serve, place one baked apple in the center of each of four plates, drizzle the Calvados sauce around and over it, and sprinkle with the toasted garnish.