Blooming Baked Apples

Because apples deserve their moment to shine.This dessert is halfway between a baked apple and an edible flower - soft, caramel-stuffed, cinnamon-scented goodness that blooms as it bakes. It's the perfect way to use up apples that are getting a bit soft or bruised (don’t bin them!), and it’ll make your kitchen smell like autumn in a fairy tale. Serve warm with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce and you'll wonder why you ever bothered with pie.

Ingredients

• 2 apples
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 chewy caramels (this is optional, but recommended...)
• Vanilla ice cream + caramel sauce, for serving

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. To get that blooming apple look, slice off the top ¼ to ⅓ of each apple. Remove the core (best to use an apple corer if you have one!)
3. Use a circular cookie cutter (or you can use a small knife too, just be careful) and cut two rings around the inside of the apple: one near the outside and another circle a little smaller.
4. Once you've made your rings, use a knife to cut across the diameter of the apple. You want to make 8 equal cuts (it will look like a bicycle wheel!)
5. Place the apples into a small oven-safe dish, and drop two caramels into the centre of each one.
6. In a bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon until combined. The mix should be runny. Divide the mixture and spoon it over the tops of the apples.
7. Bake for 25–30 minutes. (Start checking after 25 minutes - some apples can take up to 45–60 minutes to soften and fully bloom, depending on the variety.)
8. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top if you’re feeling fancy.