Author of the recipe and photos: Ieva Šidlaitė
Baked apples are a worldwide classic. People have always roasted them over hot coals, in the oven, or in the fireplace. Even the famous Christmas bunnies drawn by English author Beatrix Potter roasted apples. Yet sometimes, a simple recipe can become the true star of the table.
The same happened with the baked apple recipe, where the apples were filled with a mixture of cottage cheese, honey, and rye bran, and topped with a vibrant red lingonberry and Port wine sauce.
Bran is an unjustly overlooked product; it can unobtrusively supplement our diet with much-needed fiber, thicken fillings without forming lumps, and impart a subtle grain flavor to the dish.
You will need:
5-6 apples for baking
200 gr. cottage cheese
1 egg
2 spoons of honey
2 spoons Zelbukis ruginių sėlenų
sugar for coating
Souce:
a large handful of fresh lingonberries (lingonberry jam can also be used, but in that case, do not add sugar)
1/2 glass of Port wine
1-2 teaspoons of sugar
1 table spoon of starch
a bit of water for the starch to disolve
Wash the apples, cut off the tops and bottoms so they sit securely on the baking sheet, scoop out the cores with a spoon, and arrange them on the sheet. Mix the cottage cheese with an egg, honey, and bran, and fill the apples with the mixture. Sprinkle the tops with sugar to create a nice golden-brown crust, then place in an oven preheated to 180°C with the fan on.
Bake for about 20 minutes or slightly longer, depending on the size of the apples, until the apples begin to crack and the surface of the curd mixture browns. Remove from the oven and let to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Place the lingonberries, Port wine, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2–3 minutes until the berries begin to soften, then stir in the starch dissolved in water. Heat until the sauce thickens—this happens very quickly—but do not let it boil. Remove from the heat, let it cool slightly, and pour over the baked apples.
The apples and sauce are delicious, both warm and cold.
