Caramelized Baked Apples with Figs

These caramelized apples are light yet sweet and satisfying.  They also make a beautiful, quick and elegant dessert for a dinner party.  Because of their consistency, caramelized apples keep very well in the refrigerator for a few days for snacking or to serve to an unexpected guest. Definitely a healthy treat for both kids and adults. The cardamom and cinnamon in the mix give the caramel complexity and a zingy bite.   I have tried different apples and my favorite for this recipe is the gala apple.  Gala apples are crispy and carry just the right amount of sweetness.   The agave makes for a low glycemic sweet and the walnuts give a nice crunch. If you are allergic to nuts just leave them out altogether as the figs on their own are a nice accoutrement.  You will find that the sweetness of the apples combined with the caramel is gentle and will go well with vanilla coconut ice cream or soy vanilla ice cream.  Another option is to serve the apples with a dollop of vanilla cream.

Caramelized Baked Apples with Figs

• 6 medium gala apples cored from top to bottom (coring is easy with a dull small knife)
• 1/4 cup of agave, plus extra for squeezing into apples
• 6 chopped dried figs
• 1/2 cup of walnut pieces, plus extra for stuffing apples
• 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, plus extra for sifting into the apples

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Arrange apples is a deep baking dish filled with water.  From agave tube, squeeze enough agave inside each apple to cover the insides lightly. From cinnamon bottle, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon inside each apple.   Stuff each apple with walnuts up to the brim.  With a small spoon, lightly mix cardamom, agave, cinnamon, figs and walnuts into the water surrounding the apples (everything will come together as it bakes).  Once ingredients are mixed, spoon some of the mixture on top of each apple watching it soak into the walnuts inside the apple.  Cover with aluminum and bake for 1 hour.  Serves 6.