Ina Garten’s Cozy Tuscan Baked Apples Recipe for Fall Warmth

Tuscan baked apples represent a sublime intersection of rustic charm and elegant dessert artistry.

Sweet, tender fruit transforms into a sophisticated treat that whispers Mediterranean culinary traditions.

Warm spices and rich ingredients dance together, creating a sensory experience beyond simple baking.

Creamy textures merge with caramelized notes, promising a dessert that feels both comforting and luxurious.

Each carefully prepared apple becomes a canvas for complex flavor profiles that delight sophisticated palates.

The recipe balances simplicity with unexpected depth, inviting you to savor every nuanced bite.

Give this delectable dessert a chance to elevate your dining experience:

Why Tuscan Baked Apples Taste Like Fall

• Savor Sophisticated Simplicity: This Tuscan baked apple recipe transforms ordinary fruit into an elegant dessert with minimal effort, making gourmet cooking accessible to home chefs.
• Embrace Luxurious Layered Flavors: The combination of sweet raisins, golden raisins, Vin Santo wine, and rich mascarpone cream creates a complex taste profile that dances between fruity, boozy, and creamy notes.
• Enjoy Stress-Free Gourmet Technique: The straightforward baking method allows apples to become tender and infused with wine, while the minimal preparation ensures even novice cooks can achieve a restaurant-quality dessert in under an hour.
• Celebrate Versatile Entertaining Potential: Perfect for intimate dinner parties or special occasions, this dessert impresses guests with its rustic Italian charm and sophisticated presentation, bridging homestyle comfort with culinary elegance.

What Goes Into Ina’s Tuscan Baked Apples

Main Ingredients:

Apples: Sweet, firm baking apples that hold their shape during cooking. Granny Smith or Golden Delicious work perfectly for this dessert.

Vin Santo: Traditional Italian sweet dessert wine with rich, complex flavor. Choose a high-quality wine for best results.

• Sugar, Raisins, Golden Raisins: Sweet mix to stuff inside apple cavities. Raisins add texture and concentrated fruit flavor.

• Butter: Adds richness and helps apples caramelize during baking. Use unsalted butter for better control of dish's sweetness.
• Mascarpone Cream: Soft Italian cheese that creates smooth, luxurious topping. Ensures creamy texture and subtle tangy flavor.

• Honey: Natural sweetener that complements apple's natural taste. Provides additional depth and smoothness.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances overall dessert flavor. Pure vanilla gives best aromatic quality.
• Caramel Sauce: Optional finishing touch for extra indulgence. Adds professional restaurant-style presentation.

How to Bake These Italian-Inspired Apples

Step 1: Warm Up the Oven

Crank up your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grab a ceramic baking dish and generously coat the bottom with butter to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Prepare the Apple Canvas

Carefully undress each apple by removing a circular strip of skin around the stem. Make five gentle cuts around the apple’s surface. Using an apple corer or melon-baller, hollow out the core, leaving about a quarter of the apple intact.

Step 3: Create Flavor Pockets

• Sugar
• Regular raisins
• Golden raisins

Slice butter into six pieces and crown each apple with a buttery hat.

Step 4: Splash of Sweetness

Drizzle Vin Santo wine into each apple’s center. Pour additional Vin Santo around the base of the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the apples like a delicate snow.

Step 5: Bake to Perfection

Slide the dish into the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes. Check tenderness by piercing with a paring knife. If the liquid disappears, top up with more Vin Santo or water to keep things moist.

Step 6: Whip Up Creamy Clouds

• Mascarpone cheese
• Remaining Vin Santo
• Honey
• Vanilla extract

Stir until silky smooth.

Step 7: Serve with Flair

Slice each apple in half. Drizzle with pan juices, add a swirl of warm caramel sauce, and crown with a generous dollop of mascarpone cream.

Enjoy your culinary masterpiece straight from the oven!

Tips for Perfectly Tender Baked Apples

• Pick Perfectly Ripe Apples: Select firm, tart-sweet varieties like Macoun or Empire that maintain their shape and provide a balanced flavor profile during baking.
• Create Strategic Slits: Cut 1-inch slits around the apple's surface to prevent skin from bursting and allow steam to escape while cooking.
• Core with Precision: Carefully hollow out the apple's center, stopping three-quarters of the way down to ensure the delicious filling stays contained during baking.
• Monitor Moisture Masterfully: Keep an eye on the baking pan's liquid level, adding extra Vin Santo or water as needed to maintain apple moisture and prevent drying out.
• Serve Immediately Delicious: Present the warm baked apples accompanied by creamy mascarpone and rich caramel sauce to maximize the dessert's incredible taste and texture experience.

Storing Leftover Baked Apples the Right Way

• Freeze: Carefully wrap individual apple portions in plastic wrap, then place them inside a freezer-safe container. Seal tightly and store for up to 2 months, preserving the delightful flavors and soft texture of your dessert.
• Refrigerate: Transfer cooled apples to an airtight glass container, ensuring no moisture seeps in. These delectable treats will maintain their rich taste and tender consistency for 3-4 days when chilled properly.
• Counter Storage: Keep whole, uncut baked apples at room temperature for a maximum of 12 hours. Position them on a ceramic plate away from direct sunlight to prevent rapid spoilage and maintain their delicious warmth.

Creative Variations for Baked Apples

• Rum-Soaked Caramel Delight: Swap Vin Santo with dark rum and add caramel chips inside the apple cavity for a rich, boozy dessert.
• Mediterranean Nutty Fusion: Replace raisins with chopped almonds and pistachios, drizzle with orange blossom honey for a Mediterranean-inspired treat.
• Autumn Spice Celebration: Incorporate ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into the sugar mixture, then top with candied ginger for a warm, spicy version.
• Berry Mascarpone Magic: Mix fresh raspberries and blueberries into the mascarpone cream, garnish with fresh mint leaves for a vibrant fruity twist.

End Note on Tuscan Apple Bliss

Ina Garten’s Tuscan Baked Apples whisper Italian elegance through every delicate bite.

Golden raisins and Vin Santo wine elevate this classic dessert into a sophisticated culinary experience.

Mediterranean warmth radiates from each carefully prepared apple, promising sensory delight.

Mascarpone cream adds luxurious smoothness that complements the tender fruit’s natural sweetness.

Caramel sauce drizzled alongside creates a harmonious flavor symphony that transports palates directly to Tuscany’s rolling landscapes.

Rich cultural heritage shines through this simple yet remarkable recipe – beckoning food enthusiasts to savor, share, explore, comment, and celebrate Italian-inspired dessert magic with pure joy.

Ina Garten Tuscan Baked Apples Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 16 reviews

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Ina Garten’s Tuscan Baked Apples deliver a sublime Italian dessert experience with golden delicious apples nestled in rich mascarpone cream and crunchy amaretti cookie crumbles. Sweet Mediterranean flavors dance through this simple yet elegant treat that promises warm comfort and delightful indulgence for anyone craving a graceful dessert.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 6 large, firm tart-sweet apples, such as Macoun or Empire
• 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) unsalted butter, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 tablespoons (120 milliliters) plus 1½ cups (360 milliliters) Vin Santo wine, divided
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) mascarpone

Dried Fruits and Sweeteners:

• 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) turbinado sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw, divided
• 6 teaspoons raisins
• 6 teaspoons golden raisins
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) liquid honey

Flavoring and Sauce:

• ½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) pure vanilla extract
• Caramel sauce, such as Fran’s, warmed

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Prepare the baking environment by heating the oven to 190°C / 375°F and generously coating a 9 × 12-inch ceramic baking dish with butter to prevent sticking.
2. Transform the apples by carefully removing a 2.5 cm (1-inch) wide peel strip around the stem, then create five strategic 2.5 cm (1-inch) vertical incisions starting from the peeled area using a sharp knife.
3. Hollow out the apple’s core with precision, using an apple corer or melon-baller to extract a 3 cm (1¼-inch) wide column approximately three-quarters down the center, creating a spacious cavity for filling.
4. Arrange the prepared apples in the buttered dish, ensuring they are not touching, and meticulously fill each apple cavity with of sugar, of raisins, and of golden raisins.
5. Place a small butter segment atop each apple, then gently pour of Vin Santo into each apple’s cavity and add 360 milliliters (1½ cups) of Vin Santo to the pan’s base.
6. Sprinkle the remaining of sugar evenly over the apples, creating a light, sweet coating that will caramelize during baking.
7. Bake the apples for 30 to 45 minutes, periodically checking their tenderness by piercing with a paring knife. If the liquid begins to evaporate, replenish with additional Vin Santo or water to maintain moisture.
8. While the apples bake, prepare the mascarpone cream by whisking together mascarpone cheese, the remaining of Vin Santo, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
9. Once the apples are perfectly tender, remove from the oven and carefully slice each apple in half, preserving their delicate structure.
10. Serve the warm apples adorned with pan juices, a generous drizzle of warmed caramel sauce, and a luxurious dollop of the prepared mascarpone cream.

Notes

• Savor the delightful warmth of freshly baked apples straight from the oven for an unbeatable taste experience.
• Moisture matters most, so keep a close eye on the liquid level during baking to prevent dry, tough apples.
• Coring technique is crucial – stop three-quarters down to create a perfect vessel for delicious fillings without leakage.
• Strategic slits around the apple skin prevent unwanted bursting and ensure beautiful, intact baked apples.
• Grab crisp, tart-sweet varieties like Macoun or Empire that maintain their shape and deliver incredible flavor when baked.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 of 6
• Calories: 403
• Sugar: 40.6g
• Sodium: 85.5mg
• Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 10.4g
• Carbohydrates: 50g
• Fiber: 6g
• Protein: 2.4g
• Cholesterol: 37mg