Hylian apples are abundant all across the kingdom of Hyrule. Walking through any of the grasslands or forests, one is very likely to stumble upon an apple tree brimming with fruit. While delicious as-is, the sweetness of Hylian apples really comes out when baked. A number of desserts have been developed from this succulent treat. One of these desserts is the Hot Buttered Apple. Apples are baked with butter until soft and very sweet. Occasionally they are stuffed with nuts and spices before being buttered and baked. One could find this dessert commonly in the kitchen of most every Hylian.
For my interpretation of the Hot Buttered Apple, I draw from the traditional baked apple. I hollow out the apples and stuff them with a mixture of pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The apples are baked in a water bath with butter. It is important to make sure a large enough cylinder is cut out of the apple when coring it, in order to allow an ample amount of the stuffing to be placed inside the apple.
Ingredients
5 honeycrisp apples (or other sweet apples)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup chopped pecans
1 ½ tsp cinnamon, divided
10 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp white sugar
¾ cup warm water
8 small mint leaves
5 honeycrisp apples (or other sweet apples)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup chopped pecans
1 ½ tsp cinnamon, divided
10 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp white sugar
¾ cup warm water
8 small mint leaves
Whipped Cream
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
Rinse the apples with water and dry them. Using a knife, remove the apple core by cutting a 1 inch circle, centered at the stem, around the apple. Do not cut all the way through the apple. Leave about ½ inch of the bottom of the apple intact. Remove the core and use a spoon to hollow out the rest of the space and remove any lingering seeds. Do this for four of the apples. In order to get enough filling in each apple, you want to ensure you essentially have a 1 inch cylinder opening cut out of each apple that extends down to ½ inch from the bottom of the apple.
In a small bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well to fully combine. Using a spoon, stuff the pecan filling into the hollowed out apples. Place the apples in a square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with ¾ cup of warm water and top each apple with 1 tbsp of butter. Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until fully soft.
Slice the remaining apple into ¼ to ½ inch slices. Toss the apples in a bowl with 2 tbsp of white sugar and ½ tsp of cinnamon. Arrange the apple slices in a another small baking pan. Slice two tablespoons of butter into eight small squares and arrange them through the apple slices. Place this tray in the oven. Bake the apple slices for 15-20 minutes, until soft.
To make the whipped cream, combine one cup of heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons of white sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in the bowl of a standing mixer. Attach a whisk attachment and whisk the contents at medium speed for about 5 minutes or until the cream mixture whips up into stiff peaks. Whipped cream can be made ahead of time and kept cold in the refrigerator.
Serve the apples warm. Place one apple on a plate and top with a one tablespoon pad of butter. Arrange four of the baked apple slices in front of the whole apple and serve a dollop of whipped cream with two mint leaves for garnish.
Learn more about the Hot Buttered Apple from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at Zelda Dungeon.