Baked Apples Stuffed with Figs and Walnuts

October is for apple picking. I love bringing home big bushel baskets full of crisp, juicy apples, and eating one fresh on the way home. If it's warm enough to wrap a big scarf around my neck and skip the coat, I'm game for raw apples.

But in case you haven't heard, we got our first snow this weekend. It's a wee bit - half an inch, maybe? - but it's enough to unleash DC's full-fledged phobia of functioning in "inclement" weather. It's also enough that I want my apples baked.

By "baked," I mean stuffed with sweet, nutty filling. Dotted with butter. Glazed with reduced cider or white wine. That kind of baked. Are you with me? I bet you are.

There are countless recipes online for stuffed baked apples, but most call for stuffing them with what essentially amounts to crumble topping. I love the way the crumble stuffing bakes into a crispy crust on the apples, but if we're being honest, the part inside the apple generally underwhelms. It ends up tasting like very buttery, slightly undercooked oatmeal, which is tasty, but not really what I want inside my apples.

That's why I developed this recipe, which calls for finely chopped nuts, dried fruit, and still plenty of that signature brown sugar and butter. I baked the apples in a combination of cider and white wine, but you definitely can bake them in just cider, or a combination of cider and water.

Inspired by Mario Batali, I served these apple with a bit of gorgonzola dolce on top. The cheese provided a nice counterpoint to the sweet, buttery apples. If your guests (or you) aren't keen on gorgonzola, you can serve them with a bit of creme fraiche or mascarpone. Or hey, gild the lily: a la mode would be fantastic, too.

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GIVEAWAY RESULTS: Thanks to everyone who entered last week's giveaway of a Nudo Olive Oil Gift Pack! This morning, I chose a winner using the Random Number Generator and Random.org:

random number generator

The lucky winner is Grace. Congratulations! I'll be in touch via email.

Now, onto today's recipe.

Baked Apples Stuffed with Figs and Walnuts Serves 6

6 of your favorite apples 3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped 3/4 cup chopped figs 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 4 tablespoons butter, softened, divided 1 cup cider 1/2 cup semi-sweet white wine (or substitute more cider or water) 2 oz. gorgonzola dolce or other mild, creamy gorgonzola, optional, for serving

(Other serving options: creme fraiche, mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Use a melon baller to core the apples from the top. Work your way through the center of the apple, removing all the seed pods but leaving a sizeable base intact. You're essentially looking to turn each apple into a cup. Set apples in an oven-safe casserole. Apples should stand up on their own; if not, choose a pan that just barely fits the apples, so they stay upright.

In a small mixing bowl, combine walnuts, figs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Use a fork to mash and combine the mixture as you would the crumb topping of a fruit crisp. The mixture should be somewhat damp and clumpy.

Use a small spoon to fill the cavity of each apple with filling. You should have enough filling to fill each apple to the top, but fill each apple a bit at a time, to make sure filling is distributed evenly. Dot filled apples with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Pour cider and wine/water into the bottom of the casserole.

Cover casserole with lid or aluminum foil. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove cover, baste apples with pan liquid, and continue baking 30-40 minutes longer, until apples are soft, the apples' skins are wrinkled and golden, and the juices have reduced considerably.

To serve, top each apple with a small piece of gorgonzola and serve hot. Alternatively, serve apples with creme fraiche, mascarpone, or vanilla ice cream.

Bourbon-Chocolate Pecan Pie

The menu is pretty much set. In the fridge are mason jars full of cranberry sauce, cranberry-applesauce, pear sauce, and dulce de batata, a sort of jam made from white Latin sweet potatoes, which we first had at Del Campo and which I replicated with shocking success. In the crisper are bags of diced carrots, onions, and celery, and little bundles of fresh herbs ready to add to round 2 of turkey stock. I've got sweet potato rolls rising on the counter, a turkey and a half dry-brining on the bottom shelf of the fridge, and an assortment of vases, flowers, ribbon, bowls, tea lights, and other random stuff intended to magically self-assemble into a pretty tablescape. (Doubtful.) 

But even if absolutely nothing goes according to plan, we know there will be doughnuts. And more doughnuts. So everything will be okay. And just in case, there also will be delicious, delicious pie.

I tested two pies this past weekend and brought both to a house full of the ultimate taste testers: the hosts of our Thursday night pie/Hanukkah party, and their four children (among the most discerning eaters I know. One's favorite food is pickled asparagus.)

And this, friends, is why we test recipes: all eight of us agreed that while the pies were tasty, they weren't memorable. They weren't worthy of a spot on the Thanksgiving pie table.

One -- an apple custard pie with a rye crust -- was a surprise letdown. I was counting on it being awesome, and it just wasn't. On any other day, it'd be a pie worth making, but with so much else competing for attention on Tday, the pie kind of needs to be amazing.

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The other, fortunately, needed only a few tweaks to go from meh to memorable. And, in a slight wrist-slapping moment, the tweak was actually an un-tweak: I had added some fresh cranberries to Melissa Clark's otherwise-excellent chocolate pecan pie, figuring that the cranberries would offset the pie's likely sweetness. The cranberry flavor was nice, but the texture really disrupted an otherwise fine pie. Out they went. And between you and me, the pie improved significantly on day two. This one, I'm making on Wednesday.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I hope the holiday brings an abundance of delicious food, cozy warmth, good laughs, and plenty of leftover turkey for sandwiches. Also: latkes. Have a wonderful weekend!

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan PieAdapted from the New York Times

For the crust: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (150 grams), plus more for dusting 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water, as needed 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar, mixed in with ice water

For the filling: 1 1/2 cups pecan halves (170 grams) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (56 grams) 3/4 cup dark corn syrup 4 large eggs 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100 grams) 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (5 grams) 2 tablespoons bourbon 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms chickpea-size pieces. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist but not wet. On a lightly floured surface, gather the dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

On a lightly floured surface, after removing plastic wrap, roll out dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer crust to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold over any excess dough, then crimp edges. Prick crust all over with a fork. Chill crust for 30 minutes.

While the dough chills, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line chilled crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until very pale golden, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast nuts, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.

Make the filling: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth; cool. In a large bowl, whisk together cooled chocolate-butter mixture, corn syrup, eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, bourbon and salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. Arrange pecans over filling. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the filling is just set when the pan is jiggled, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Nutmeg Donuts with Cranberry Curd Filling

From the looks of my kitchen this past week, you'd think I'd given up normal eating and opted instead for some wacko doughnut diet. I've fried three batches in the last 7 days and no, I'm not done yet. The weather report says we're getting snow (!) on Tuesday, and I think we'll need some cinnamon-sugar doughnut holes to go with the season's first cocoa.

But before the snow and the cocoa and the doughnut holes, I had a wacky idea to make cranberries into pudding. It was back when tomatoes were still delicious and cranberries in the supermarket downright confused me. But there they were, announcing fall before I was quite ready. Still: summer couldn't last forever. Instinctively, I grabbed a bag. Okay, two.

Scheming about what to make with them on the way home, it occurred to me how similar cranberries are to rhubarb, which became curd back in 2010. Bright red and oh-so-sour, both beg for sweetness and richness to soften the tart bite of the fruit. In both cases, sugar + egg yolks work wonders.

Not to gild the lily, but pump the sweet-tart bright-red curd into a nutmeg-scented yeast doughnut, and you've got yourself a treat.

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Needless to say, I will be serving these at Thanksgivukkah - dessert #1, to be followed shortly thereafter by the feast of 1,000 pies. I think I mentioned this earlier, but half the doughnuts will be filled with this, the other half with pumpkin pudding likely inspired by Deb. And maybe, just maybe, if making 25 menu items for 14 amazing guests makes me as crazy-in-a-good-way as I think it might, I just might put both in each doughnut. I told you, things may get crazy around here.

Having initially tested the recipe without nutmeg, I can reassure you that they're still good. But, if you've got whole nutmeg, don't skip it. And if you don't this may be your reason to buy it. It's cheap, keeps well, and makes everything more delicious.

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Thanksgiving ideas, elsewhere: We're officially in the Tday countdown. In case you're hosting (or jonesing to make a friends' Thanksgiving meal as an excuse to make all this good food, I recommend dry-brined turkey, roasted or fried; brussels sprouts of insane deliciousness; bourbon-pecan bars that deserve a place on your table, Tday or not; and plenty of other recipe ideas here, here, and -- if you're thinking Thanksgivukkah -- here.  

More doughnuts! It's doughnut week here on NDP. I've got a guest-blogger for the next ones; you don't want to miss'em. Stay tuned.

Nutmeg Doughnuts with Cranberry Curd FillingDough adapted from Saveur, curd adapted from here

Makes 2 dozen

For the doughnuts: 2 packages active dry yeast (1/2 oz. total) 1 1/2 cups milk or unflavored soy milk, heated to 115° 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing (for non-dairy doughnuts, substitute corn oil or Earth Balance) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 egg plus 3 egg yolks 4 3/4 cups (1 lb. 5 oz.) all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for dusting Canola oil, for frying 1 1/2 cups cranberry curd, for filling (see below) Powdered sugar, for dusting

For the cranberry curd: 3/4 pounds (12 oz.) fresh or frozen cranberries 4 tablespoons water 1/2 cup sugar, divided 4 egg yolks 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks (for non-dairy, use Earth Balance or coconut oil)

Make the doughnut dough: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Beat 1/2 cup sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy. Add yeast mixture, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, egg, and yolks; beat until combined. With the motor running, slowly add flour; beat until dough is smooth. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap; set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make the cranberry curd: In a small saucepan, heat cranberries, 1/4 sugar, and water on medium. Cook until cranberries have turned completely soft and there are no whole pieces left, adding water by the tablespoon if cranberries stick to the bottom of the pan. Push the mixture through a strainer.

Add a couple inches of water to the pot of a double boiler and set over medium heat. Put egg yolks, butter/oil, and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in the bowl of the double boiler and whisk to combine. When sugar has dissolved completely, remove bowl from heat and add the cranberry puree by the spoonful, to temper the eggs. When all rhubarb has been added, set bowl over pot; the water should be simmering. Continue stirring the cranberry mixture; after about 5 minutes, the mixture will be warm and slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and again press through a strainer — this will give your curd that smooth, pudding-like texture.

Finish the doughnuts: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14" round about 1/2-inch thick. Using a floured 3-inch ring cutter, cut dough into 20 rounds; gather and reuse scraps. Transfer rounds to lightly greased parchment paper—lined baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a 6-quart pot until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. I found the doughnuts slipped off the parchment paper quite easily using a delicate hand and some patience, but if you're nervous about messing up their shapes, you can do as Saveur recommends and cut the the parchment paper into squares around each doughnut, so each doughnut is on its own little piece of parchment, making the transfer easier. Working in batches, place donuts in oil, paper side up, using tongs to quickly peel off and discard paper. Cook until puffed and golden, about 75 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet with a wire rack; let cool completely.

Fit a pastry bag with a plain 1/4-inch tip and fill with curd. Working with one doughnut at a time, insert tip about 1/2-inch deep into the side of doughnut, pipe 2 tablespoons of curd in, and set aside.

Dust filled doughnuts with powdered sugar before serving.

Doughnuts will keep for the better part of a day, but not longer. No excuse: eat up!

Grape-Cornmeal Snacking Cake

Snacking cakes and I go way, way back. Our long history revolves mostly around languid summer Saturday afternoons, when lunch has long passed but dinner seems far away. Company is still over, we're all sitting around a table, there are crumbs everywhere and half-empty cups of ice coffee with mostly-melted ice dribbling down the sides. But trust, there is snacking cake.

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Summer has faded into fall, but that hasn't stopped snacking cake from sticking around. I happened upon this specimen, plump with concord grapes, when looking for my usual focaccia recipe. Fortunately, with so many different kinds of grapes at the market, my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and I bought them all. That left me with enough for two focaccias plus this cake.

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Right upfront, let me tell you that this cake bears a striking resemblance to cornbread. (If that's not your jam, perhaps you'll love this other snacking cake, my personal favorite.) It isn't cornbread, per se: it's a bit lighter and, well, cakier than your typical cornbread. But the genius touch here is the honey, which gets drizzled in but not fully mixed. The result is a thin thread of sweetness throughout the cake. The grapes on top also are key: they add some very important moisture, and when you bake the thing, they get plump and just shy of jammy.

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Another honest moment: this cake is best when it's just out of the oven. If you're planning to bake it in advance, you'll be far more enamored if you tuck it into the oven for one last spin before serving. You want those grapes warm, that crust crisp and steaming. Now that it's fall, languid Saturday afternoons have plenty of room for a warm, toasty snacking cake.

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Concord Grape Snacking CakeAdapted from Bon Appetit

I made only minor adjustments to this recipe, mostly to indulge my preference for butter in pretty much anything. The recipe originally called for 4 T oil and 2 T butter, but I made it with all butter. If you're more of an oil cake girl, go right ahead. Either way, it's a no-mixer recipe. Aren't those the best?

I will also confess to using a mix of Thomcord and Champagne grapes, those lovely hybrids with good flavor but no seeds. Concords have superior flavor, but as I sit there with a paring knife picking out each of the FOUR seeds from each grape, I get rather stabby and swear never to use them again. This time, I put my money where my mouth was, and I was much happier to eat the cake as a result.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 tablespoons melted butter (or use 1/4 vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons butter) 6 tablespoons buttermilk (or substitute milk plus juice from half a lemon) 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 a pound of grapes - Thomcord, Concord, Champagne, whatever you've got. But definitely red or black. De-seeded, if necessary.

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until smooth and satiny. Add lemon zest and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add butter and/or oil; whisk to blend. Whisk in flour mixture, then buttermilk. The drizzle in honey, and use a knife to swirl it into the cake without fully incorporating it.

Pour batter into prepared dish, and scatter half the grapes over cake batter.

Bake until cake turns light golden brown around the edges and starts to set, 15 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter remaining grapes over cake. Continue to bake until top is golden brown and cake springs back when pressed, 20-25 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool slightly in pan. Serve warm.