Italian Honey-Ricotta Baked Apples with Amaretti Crumble

Serves 4 · 15 min prep · 35 min cook

Ingredients

• 4 large Honeycrisp or Gala apples
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
• 3 tbsp plus more for drizzling honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 8 amaretti cookies
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice a thin cap off the top of each apple and use a melon baller or small spoon to carefully hollow out the core and some flesh, leaving a sturdy half-inch wall and bottom so the apple holds its shape.
2. 2In a bowl stir the ricotta with honey, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt until smooth and lightly sweetened.
3. 3Crush the amaretti cookies into coarse crumbs with your hands or a rolling pin. Melt the butter and toss it with the cookie crumbs, sliced almonds, and cinnamon to make a crunchy topping.
4. 4Spoon the ricotta mixture into the hollowed apples, mounding it slightly. Press a generous layer of the amaretti-almond crumble on top of each.
5. 5Set the stuffed apples upright in a small baking dish. Add a splash of water to the bottom of the dish to create steam. Drizzle the tops lightly with extra honey.
6. 6Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife but still hold their shape, the ricotta is warm and set, and the crumble is deeply golden and fragrant.
7. 7Rest the apples for 5 minutes out of the oven. Transfer each to a plate and spoon any pan juices over the top.
8. 8Finish with one more thin drizzle of honey and serve warm as a simple, elegant dessert.