Apples. Honeycrisp, Tango, Gala, Granny Smith, Jonagold. No matter its name or character apples are the official fruit of Autumn. The best type having crispy flesh that turns velvety under the tooth, with honeyed sweetness balanced out with a tart snap. While possibly the most perfect fruit on its own there is nothing that a little cheese can't improve.
Let me be the first to tell you that this improvement makes your average solo apple taste like that french fry you found in your backseat last week. I'll explain. This Jonagold apple was cored and baked with a fluffy mixture of softened butter, light brown sugar, and...wait for it...triple creme St. Agour blue cheese. Oh. Yeah.
The salty,
lactic, yet gentle acidity of the cheese perfectly complements the heady
sweetness of the apple. Blending seamlessly with the toasted, buttery
caramel of the brown sugar and butter.
As I write this I have slowly
been working my way through this a fore mentioned baked fruit (yes, it's
my breakfast. don't hate.). The sheer, almost physically palpable,
decadence of it has left me slowly working my way to the bottom of the
bowl. Though once past the spoonable, just barely crisp apple, lies the
juices left over from baking. A caramelized, buttered pool of brown
sugar, salt, and cream.
Now this is the way to welcome the first day of Autumn.
Baked Apple w/Blue Cheese
serves 1
1 washed and cored baking apple w/skin on
1 Tbs salted butter, softened
2 Tbs light brown sugar, packed
1 Tbs blue cheese, softened and packed
1/2 cup water
Cinnamon for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 F
Blend butter, sugar, and cheese with a spatula in a small bowl until well blend but still lumpy
Pack the mixture lightly into the cavity of the apple
The mixture should mound slightly over the top of the apple
Place into a baking dish and cover with apple lightly with tin foil
add the water to the baking dish
Bake for approx. 20 minutes
Remove tinfoil and add water if needed
Baste often with its own juices
Bake 20 more minutes or until tender under a fork
Carefully (molten sugar burns like napalm) move the apple to a ramekin or bowl
Spoon over the juices from bottom of the baking dish
Sprinkle with cinnamon and any left over brown sugar
Spoon it into your face and enjoy!
