Baked apples are comfort food. This version, fragrant with cardamom and apple cider, makes a delicious dessert and a beautiful side dish. Or use the apples to garnish roast turkey, game hens, chicken, crown roast of pork or lamb, or baked ham. Make sure you choose firm apples; otherwise, they will disintegrate under pressure.
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and halved
INSTRUCTIONS
- In the pressure cooker, combine the cider, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the apples to the pot and spoon some of the sauce over the apples.
- Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid the escaping steam.
- Carefully remove the apples from the cider with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving bowl or platter.
- Bring the cider to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavor.
- Fish out the cinnamon sticks and pour some of the syrup over the apples.
- Serve the remaining syrup on the side. (Store any leftover syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
NOTE:
- Use the leftover syrup as a glaze for grilled pork or as a topping for cake, ice cream, or gelato .
