Ina Garten tuscan baked apples are an easy dessert from her friend Rolando Beramendi’s Italian cookbook. She stuffs cored apples with raisins and Vin Santo wine, then bakes them until soft. Warm caramel and mascarpone cream make these a go-to for entertaining.
Choose firm, tart apples like Macoun or Empire, because softer varieties fall apart long before the Vin Santo caramelizes. Score five small slits in each skin so the apples hold their shape while the inside turns tender.
Source: Modern Comfort Food (2020)
Ina Garten Tuscan Baked Apples
Course: DessertCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes40
minutes350
kcalCored apples baked in a pool of Vin Santo wine with raisins and turbinado sugar, then halved and served with a honey-vanilla mascarpone dollop and warm caramel drizzle.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra to grease the pan
6 large, firm tart-sweet apples, such as Macoun or Empire
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw, divided
6 teaspoons raisins
6 teaspoons golden raisins
8 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups Vin Santo wine, divided (see note)
1/2 cup mascarpone
1 teaspoon liquid honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel sauce, such as Fran’s, warmed
Directions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 x 12-inch ceramic baking dish just large enough to hold the apples without touching.
- Prepare the apples: With a sharp paring knife, remove a 1-inch-wide ribbon of peel around the stem of each apple. With the paring knife, make five 1-inch slits around each apple, starting where the peel was removed. (This will keep the skin from exploding in the oven.) With an apple corer or 1-inch melon-baller, remove a 1 1/4-inch-wide column from the core three quarters of the way down the center of each apple.
- Fill and arrange: Place the apples in the prepared baking dish, making sure they don’t touch. In each cavity, place first 1 teaspoon of the sugar (2 tablespoons total), then 1 teaspoon raisins and 1 teaspoon golden raisins. Cut the 3 tablespoons of butter in 6 pieces and divide among the apples. Pour 1 tablespoon of the Vin Santo into each apple and 1 1/2 cups of Vin Santo into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar on the apples.
- Bake: Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the apples, until they can be pierced easily with a small paring knife. Don’t worry if the skins burst. (Add extra Vin Santo or water to the pan if the liquid evaporates.)
- Make the cream and serve: Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the mascarpone, the remaining 2 tablespoons of Vin Santo, the honey, and vanilla. Cut each apple in half and serve warm with the pan juices, a drizzle of the caramel sauce, and a dollop of the mascarpone cream.
FAQs
Can I use a different wine instead of Vin Santo?
Vin Santo is a sweet Italian dessert wine, but you can swap in any other sweet dessert wine. Marsala or a late harvest Riesling will work well. Avoid dry wines because they won’t give you the same rich, caramelized pan juices.
How do I store leftover tuscan baked apples?
These are best eaten the day you bake them, since the apples soften as they sit. If you have leftovers, store them covered in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat gently in a 325-degree oven until warmed through.
Can I prep these baked apples ahead of time?
You can core and stuff the apples up to a day ahead, then cover and refrigerate. Pull them out about 30 minutes before baking so they come closer to room temperature. The mascarpone cream can also be whisked ahead and kept in the fridge.
What tools do I need to core the apples?
An apple corer works best, but a 1-inch melon baller does the job too. You want a 1 1/4-inch-wide hole that goes three-quarters of the way down, so the raisins and wine have room to settle. A sharp paring knife is all you need for the slits.
What is the most common mistake with baked apples?
The biggest mistake is using a soft apple variety that turns to mush in the oven. Stick with firm types like Macoun or Empire that hold their shape through the full baking time. Also, don’t skip the slits in the skin, or the apples can burst during baking.
