Crunchy Baked Apples With Oatmeal and Apricots

Crunchy Baked Apples With Oatmeal and Apricots

4 large, tart cooking apples

1/4 small lemon

4 large dried apricots, chopped

4 T. soft butter

4 T. (packed) brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

Several gratings of fresh nutmeg

2 T. walnuts or pecans, chopped

1/4 C. old-fashioned (not quick-cooking) rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and dry the apples, and carefully remove the cores with a small knife, leaving the bottoms intact to form a cup. Peel away a strip of skin from the top circumference of the apples (this prevents them from splitting while baking).

Place the apples close together in a small baking pan, squeeze the lemon over them and fill each apple with 1/4 of the chopped apricots.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg nuts and oatmeal, and rub together with your fingertips to form coarse crumbs. Spoon crumbs into the apples, mounding them high. Pour in 1/2 inch water into pan, place in the oven and bake until the apples are very tender and topping is lightly browned and crispy – 35 to 45 minutes.

Serve in bowls with cream or milk.

Yield: serves 4.