You know what they say about eating an apple every day and this little roasting technique transforms apple eating from dutiful to pleasurable. Just a small amount of butter and brown sugar mean this apple works any time of day. Served with a dollop of low-fat Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of nuts or granola, it makes a classy breakfast, the start of a nice brunch, or even a mid-afternoon or evening snack.

Switch to light sour cream or ice cream, and it becomes a simple appealing end to a great meal. So roast up a pan and enjoy your apple every day.

Tips:

  • A melon baller is a great tool for coring halved apples.
  • Make sure to use firm apples. Common apples that work well: Granny Smith, Royal Gala, Fuji, and Braeburn. Soft apples do not hold their shape.
  • You can substitute ground cinnamon for the cinnamon sticks—simply mix in 2 teaspoons with the brown sugar.
  • This same technique works for other fruit as well. This time of year try seasonal pears

Roasted Caramel-Glazed Cinnamon Apples

Serves 8

3 tablespoons butter
4 firm, crisp apples halved and seeded
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks (about 4 inches each) halved

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place butter in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and set it in preheating oven to melt while preparing apples.

Remove pan from oven; sprinkle brown sugar over butter. Arrange cinnamon stick evenly over sugar and place apples, cut side down, over cinnamon sticks. Bake until apples are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven, turn apples, cut side up, and spoon sauce over apples. Return pan to oven and continue to roast until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

To serve, spoon a half apple into each bowl, sticking a cinnamon stick in each core.  Serve as desired (see suggestions above).