Everyone loves a baked apple...especially with a twist

We continue to be busy (like everyone else), in spite of this being the slow season for us. Catching up on all the things we couldn't get to or keep up with have now snowballed into a list too long to even mention. Oh well, keeps you young I suppose.
I thought I would share my latest favorite apple dessert, the perennial favorite, baked apple, with a small twist. I took the core out, peeled the whole apple halfway and filled the cavity with a small amount of butter, brown sugar and amaretti cookies. folks around here are fond of using amaretti cookies for a wide range of uses that you wouldn't ordinarily think of, like pumpkin and amaretti cookies as a filling for ravioli, but I digress.
It's apple season and we have many apples to use and experiment with, but right now I have been happily baking our stash off as fast as I can stuff them. We have finally gotten the pipe sorted out for our new wood fired oven and we are slowly tempering the oven with small fires and a few baked apples. A pizza party is coming soon, but in the mean time we're enjoying a bounty of baked apples, a variety of ways.


Mele Ripiena con Amaretti Al Forno
Yield 6

6 Apples, tart and firm
juice of one lemon,
and perhaps a little zest from the skin to add a bit of zip to the filling
cinnamon sugar to taste or color
6 soft macaroon type amaretti biscuits
Handful of hard amaretti biscotti (approximately 6 per apple)
1 Tb brown sugar
1- Tb Butter, softened
Walnut, almonds or pine nuts to garnish
Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or caramel sauce or warm out of the oven just on their own.

Preparation

• Wash apples

• Remove the core from the center of the apples if you have a handy corer. Other wise, carefully cut the center out in circular fashion carefully removing the core. Scoop out most of the apple, leaving enough to hold the apple intact
• Peel the apples top half only going round in a circular motion.
• Dip the top peeled part in the lemon juice or if not enough juice, spread the juice on with a brush.
• Dip the top into the cinnamon sugar, or generous coat.
• Crumble the biscuits/macaroons with the brown sugar and nuts.
• Press a spoonful of the mixture into the center, filling the cavity.
• Press a few pine nuts or almonds into the top.
• Place in a single layer in a paper lined baking dish and cook in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes depending on how large your apples are.
• Serve warm with your favorite garnish , like ice cream, cramel sauce, whipped cream or warm out of the oven starring themselves as they are!