The National Tile Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, may seem an unlikely place to find kitchen inspiration. A silver tray in their café, filled with sugar-coated, rose-pink baked apples, each speared with a cinnamon stick, captured all my attention during our coffee break.
Ten seconds later, we tucked into the warm beauties shot through with their port wine braising sauce.
Turns out, recipe ideas prove our most timeless souvenir of any trip. I keep a running tab of concepts on my phone, along with thoughts on how to recreate the treats at home. I even note which loved ones deserve a taste.
This fall, those memorable apples make a regular appearance on our family dinner table. We serve them alongside a small glass of the port wine we shipped home from Porto.
There, we learned that port, a fortified wine, is made when a clear grape spirit (usually aguardente, a type of brandy) is added to the wine during fermentation. This addition stops the fermentation process, thereby preserving much of the grapes’ natural sugars and results in the sweet, fruity profile of most port wine. Aging in oak further enhances the wine’s flavor.
Perhaps it’s the charm and beauty of Portugal, but we enjoyed all manner of ruby ports, tawny ports, and long-bottle vintage versions during our trip. Especially when paired with rich cheeses, fresh fruit, or salty foods.
Deep red, fruit-forward ruby port gives the baked apples a lovely pink hue. Tawny ports sport a brownish hue but likewise taste great in the recipe that follows. Port keeps well after opening in the refrigerator; a plus, since this is sipping wine.
Since the wine is sweet, tart apples taste great here. Select apples all about the same size with flat bottoms so they sit up nicely while baking. I prefer to use small apples—even hearty eaters are unlikely to eat a ginormous apple for dessert. Apples, three inches in diameter, cook nicely to tenderness. Especially when stuffed with sugar, nuts, and dried cranberries. If desired, insert half of a cinnamon stick in the filling for aroma and an attractive presentation.
Port wine, mixed with a little water, provides flavor and moisture while the apples bake slowly in the oven. Shower the apples before and after baking with coarse decorating sugar. I like Wilton’s white sparkling sugar, Swedish pearl sugar, or white sanding sugar found online.
Be sure to select an attractive serving dish that also is suitable for baking the apples.
These apples can be baked in advance, but taste best slightly warm. A dollop of whipped cream flavored with a little sour cream cuts the sweetness. Leftover apples taste great diced and served with oatmeal.
Port Baked Apples With Pecans and Cranberries
Makes 6 or 7 servings- 2 pounds, 6 or 7, small apples, such as Pink Lady, Gala, or Honeycrisp
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or chopped dried cherries
- 3 or 4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
- 1/2 cup ruby port wine, Madeira, or dry sherry
- About 3 tablespoons coarse sugar or decorating sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or crème fraîche
Rinse apples. Starting at the stem end, use a small melon baller to scoop out the core, working your way down the core about 3/4 of the way down into the apple. Be sure to leave 1/2-inch at the bottom to hold the filling in.
For the filling, mix butter, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in pecans and cranberries.
Spoon some of the filling into each apple, compacting it tightly in the opening. Place apples in the prepared dish. Stick a cinnamon stick into the center of each apple.
Pour port wine and 1/4 cup water into the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle apples generously with coarse sugar. Bake until apples are tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with more coarse sugar.
Beat cream in a small mixer bowl until soft peaks form. Beat in sour cream to blend.
Serve apples while warm topped with a dollop of whipped cream.
