Baked Apples

Ingredients

For 4 servings

• •70 g all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces; 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
• •50 g granulated sugar (2 ounces; 1/4 cup)
• •1 /2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• •1 /4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
• •56 g unsalted butter (2 ounces; 4 tablespoons), at room temperature
• •30 g pecans, roughly chopped (about 1 ounce; 1/4 cup), optional
• •4 large sweet apples (about 8 ounces; 230 g each), such as Honeycrisp
• •50 g granulated sugar (2 ounces; 1/4 cup)
• •1 c. à café ground cinnamon
• •Pinch kosher salt
• •2 c. à café lemon juice from 1 medium lemon, divided
• •14 g unsalted butter (1/2 ounce; 1 tablespoon), cut into 4 equal pieces
• •Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or cold custard, for serving (optional)

Method

1. 1.Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. 2.For the Crumble Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to combine. Add butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until butter pieces are thoroughly coated with flour mixture. Using your fingertips, pinch and flatten butter, then rub it between your fingertips until a sandy texture forms, 3 to 4 minutes. (It should resemble coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-size pieces still visible but no large chunks of butter remaining.) Toss in the pecans, if using, and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. 3.For the Apples: Using a sharp knife, slice off the top 1/2-inch of 1 apple to create a flat, level surface. Carefully run a paring knife, melon baller, or spoon around the top of the core to remove it; discard. Carefully remove any remaining seeds, taking care to leave the bottom 1/2-inch of the apple. The opening of the apple should be 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat with remaining apples. (If your apples struggle to stand upright, create a flat base by using a knife to slice 1/4 inch off the bottom of each apple.)
4. 4.In a small bowl, whisk sugar, cinnamon, and salt to combine. Divide mixture evenly among the openings in all four apples. Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice to the center of each apple, followed by 1 piece of butter.
5. 5.Divide crumble evenly among apples, carefully piling it on the flat portion of each apple. (It's okay if some crumble falls into the opening, but do not pack it down inside the apples. Depending on the size of your apples, you may have a small amount of crumble leftover.)
6. 6.Fill an 8-by-8-inch baking pan or dish with about 1/2 inch of water. Place apples in pan, flat-side down. then place the apple inside. Bake until apples are tender and easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife and the crumble is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. If using pecans, cover apples loosely with foil at the 20-mintue mark to prevent pecans from burning. Let apples cool until warm, about 15 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or cold custard, if desired.