Speculaas-Spiced Baked Apples with Pecans
The Ultimate Festive Dessert
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Marija
As the apples 🍎 bake to perfection, the kitchen becomes a symphony of festive ✨aromas—warm cinnamon, aromatic cloves, and the rich scent of speculaas spices wafting through the air.
This is the perfect dessert to capture the spirit of Christmas🎄, filling your home🏠 with the irresistible fragrance of the season.
Share the magic of the season with this ultimate festive dessert that not only delights the taste buds but also transforms your kitchen into a holiday haven!
🎄🏠❄️
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 4 large apples (such as Honeycrisp or Gala)
- 60g chopped pecans
- 50 brown sugar
- 5g ground cinnamon
- 1.25g ground nutmeg
- 30g unsalted butter, melted
- Half teaspoon vanilla flavor
- 120ml apple cider or apple juice
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional, for serving)
For the Speculaas Sauce:
- 230g unsalted butter
- 100g brown sugar
- 60g cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon speculaas spice blend (if available)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 190°C.
Wash and core the apples, leaving the bottoms intact to create a well for the filling.
Step 2
In a bowl, combine the chopped pecans, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
Step 3
Stuff each cored apple with the pecan mixture, pressing it down gently to ensure it fills the cavity.
Arrange the stuffed apples in a baking dish. Pour the apple cider or apple juice into the bottom of the dish.
Step 4
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the apples are tender but not mushy.
Every 10 minutes, baste the apples with the liquid from the bottom of the baking dish to keep them moist.
Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
Step 5
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter for the Speculaas sauce.
Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved, then add the heavy cream. Stir continuously.
Add the ground cinnamon, ground cloves, speculaas spice blend (if available), vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and allow the mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
If the sauce is too thick, you can adjust the consistency by adding a bit more cream until you reach your desired thickness.
Step 6
Remove the saucepan from heat and let the Speculaas Sauce cool for a few minutes before drizzling it over the baked apples.
