Slow-cooked baked apples

A dessert that cooks itself? Yes please! My schedule has been hectic lately, so being able to offload at least one meal to my slow cooker was quite a blessing. If I’d set a timer, I reckon it would have taken me fewer than 10 minutes to prep these delicious baked apples, then I let my handy kitchen appliance do the rest of the work.

I’m a bit partial to a warm fruity dessert, and I could hear the apples calling my name from the fruit bowl. One could argue that this dish was meant to be. The warm, soft apples on the outside, together with the crumbly sweetness of the topping inside is utterly mouth-watering! You’ll want to eat these with a bit of custard or some ice-cream. Yum!

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 medium to large apples (Fuji, Royal Gala or Braeburn)
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tbsp butter, divided

Method

1. In a medium bowl, add flour, oats, both sugars, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine.
2. Core apples using an apple corer or sharp knife. Slice off the tops of the apples so that the tops are even.
3. Stuff the empty apple cavities with the oats mixture, pressing down firmly to pack in. Cover the top of the apple with additional oat mixture.
4. Add water to the slow cooker and carefully place apples in so they stand upright. Add a tablespoon of butter on top of each apple. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
5. Remove from the slow cooker and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Top with custard or ice-cream before serving, if you desire.