Hasselback Baked Apples

Hasselback apples are a fun twist of the classic apple crisp dish.  They are rather like apple pie without the crust! Firm and somewhat tart apples work best...varieties like Honeycrisp or Ambrosia.

• 2 large crisp apples, peeled and cored
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• oatmeal crumble topping (recipe below)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°.
2. Starting at the outer edge, make thin slices at 1/8"-1/4" intervals cutting most (but not all) of the way through each apple half.
3. Place apple halves, cut side down, in an 8-inch square pan sprayed with cooking oil.
4. Combine butter, sugar and cinnamon and brush evenly over each apple piece.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and spoon oatmeal crumble mixture over apples halves, carefully fanning open apple slices. 
8. Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
9. Turn broiler to high and broil for one or two minutes.
10. Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream and a drizzle of your favorite caramel sauce.

Crumble Topping:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 3 Tablespoons butter

Mix brown sugar, oats, flour and cinnamon.  Cut in the butter and use a pastry blender or hands to mix until crumbly.

*When making a fruit crisp, I always do a large batch of 'crumble topping' and keep it on hand in the freezer. Those frozen crumbs come in handy when making Hasselback apples.