Raisin-filled baked apple.

After spending a good hour or so searching the blogosphere last night I came across the blog, Miss Thrifty - a blog about her and ways tips to help save you money and get more for your money. I then came across this post of hers. I thought the very last tip about the apples was so good:

"Apples gone wrinkly? Wash them, cut a line around the middle, core them, fill with sultanas and honey (or whatever you fancy) and then bake them until soft and mushy. Very quick dessert!"

I would have never thought of it. We normally just chuck away apples that have gone slightly soft. So, as I was hungry anyway (and no matter how hard I try I cannot sleep on an empty stomach), after googling for a recipe, I went down and experimented. Click here for the recipe I found on google. I did change it up a tiny bit though, for the purpose of making it less calorific.. I made it to be approx. 65kcal - very low-kcal! But I'm pretty sure I've worked it out correctly. Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:
- 1 small apple (approx. 80g after cored).
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon.
- a very small drizzle of golden syrup (approx. 1/2 tsp).
- 1/4 tsp Splenda granulated sweetener.
- 5g seedless raisins.
- boiling water.

Method:
1. First place the raisins into a heat-proof bowl/cup and pour boiling water over them. Allow them to soak until they're plump - the time this takes depends on the age of the raisins. Leave them in the water until you are ready to cook.
2. Get your apple, wash it and then remove most of the core. Try and leave some apple at the bottom for a base though - like 1cm or so. Then remove a thin strip of peel from around the cavity.
3. Place the apple into a microwave-proof bowl. Sprinkle the inside of the apple with the cinnamon and Splenda sweetener and then fill it with the raisins.
4. Pour a tsp of the water you used to soak the raisins in over the raisins.
5. Then drizzle golden syrup over the top of the raisins and all over the apple. (I drizzled it straight from the bottle. I did not squeeze it then bottle.. I just held it upside down and let it pour out itself. Barely any was used - maybe 1/2 tsp-ish.
6. Put it in the microwave, uncovered, and cook for 3-4 minutes on high power; testing with a fork after 3 minutes.
7. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving (warning: the inside may be very hot, so do allow for it to cool).

You can vary the recipe by using different/more fillings for the apple, such as blueberries, sultanas, adding nuts (pecans, walnuts), using different sweeteners (honey, maple syrup), etc.

It's super sweet and super delicious! Great comfort food. Great to make as a dessert, or even as a midnight snack, if you're feeling naughty like me. :)