Valentine's Red Wine Poached Russet Apples in the Oven

There’s something absolutely magical about the way roasted apples fill your kitchen with that irresistible aroma of cinnamon and caramelized sugar. This classic feel good dessert is one of those timeless recipes that just makes everything better on any cold winter and spring days. The combination of tart russet apples with the rich sweetness of red wine reduction is simply divine, it’s the perfect marriage of acidity and sweetness, and honestly, it’s a wonderful way to celebrate seasonal fruit in a warm, rich dessert that’ll comfort your soul (now that was pretty poetic hehehe).

And hey, I’m sharing this recipe just in time for Valentine’s Day! Yes, this is also a perfect recipe to share and cozy up with your better half. Well, I can’t guarantee that you’ll get lucky hahahaha, but you will make someone really happy! ;D

Now, the wine reduction with honey is absolutely delicious but totally optional if you don’t enjoy cooking with wine or if you’re serving this to children (even though much of the alcohol evaporates during cooking). You can easily swap it for a bit of water in the bottom of the baking dish, and the apple juices combined with the sugar will create a delicious syrup all on their own.

One last little note, clearly I should have used a slightly larger baking dish because mine ended up with the apples a bit squished while roasting, but they were still absolutely delicious heheheh. So let’s get to the recipe!

Valentine's Red Wine Poached Russet Apples in the Oven

Servings: 4
Time: 40mins
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★★
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Oh my, nothing like another recipe that's absolutely perfect for a chilly winter and spring evening, nothing quite like some gorgeous roasted russet apples with a red wine reduction to warm everyone up on those colder nights!

Ingredients

Russet Apples – 4
Cinnamon – 4 (Sticks)
Cinnamon – For Sprinkling (Powdered)
Brown Sugar – 50g
Red Wine – 200ml
Honey – 2 Tablespoon (Eucalyptus Honey)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 170ºC and find a baking dish that will comfortably hold all the apples.
Wash the Reineta apples and use a corer to remove the core (if you don’t have one, it’s not that important, just use them whole if you don’t), place them in the baking dish.
Now place the cinnamon sticks inside each apple, followed by a few spoonfuls of red wine (about 4 will do), then sprinkle brown sugar over everything and finally a pinch of cinnamon.
Place in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until well cooked (depending on the size of the Reineta apples).
While the apples are baking, bring the wine to a medium/low heat and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until it reduces by half and creates a syrup.
Once the Reineta apples are well baked, remove from the heat and serve with the red wine syrup on top or served separately so everyone can serve themselves. Bon appétit & Happy Valentines!

Notes & Tips: Russet apples (also known as Reineta apples) are ideal for this recipe because they hold their shape beautifully when baked and have a slightly tart flavor that balances the sweetness of the sugar, honey and wine. If you can’t find russet apples, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn apples work wonderfully as substitutes.

Any decent red wine works here, you don’t need anything fancy. A medium-bodied red like Merlot, Malbec, or even a Portuguese table red wine is perfect. The wine reduces down and concentrates, so avoid anything too tannic or bitter.

If you’re serving this to children or prefer to skip the alcohol, simply replace the wine with apple juice or water. The natural sugars from the apples and the brown sugar will still create a delicious caramelized sauce in the baking dish (won’t be much but it will be delicious).

Make sure your baking dish is large enough so the apples aren’t crammed together. They need some breathing room to roast properly. If they’re too close, they’ll steam instead of caramelize and will only roast on the top, and you’ll miss out on those lovely golden edges.

The original recipe suggests eucalyptus honey because i love eucalyptus honey for its distinctive flavor, but feel free to use whatever honey you have on hand, orange blossom, wildflower, or acacia all work beautifully. Each brings its own subtle character to the wine reduction.

Also these roasted apples are gorgeous served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of crème fraîche, or even some lightly whipped cream. The contrast between the warm, spiced apples and cold cream is absolutely heavenly.

You can roast the apples earlier in the day and gently reheat them in a low oven (150ºC/300ºF) for about 10 minutes before serving. The wine reduction can also be made ahead and reheated gently.

This recipe for Valentine’s Red Wine Poached Russet Apples in the Oven was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Maçãs Reinetas Assadas foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.