A traditional and very comforting dessert for those cold winter evenings when all you want is something warm and sweet and not too unhealthy.

Ingredients:

4 medium apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans - optional)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

1/2 cup apple juice or water

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

Core the apples, leaving the bottoms intact to hold the filling. You can use a corer or a knife to create a hollow center. Don’t worry if your knife goes all the way through to the bottom—your dish will be a little messy, but will taste as good.

In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, nuts and raisins (if using). Mix until well combined.

Spoon the filling into each apple, packing it in gently but firmly.

Place the stuffed apples upright in a baking dish. Pour the apple juice or water into the bottom of the dish to help steam the apples as they bake.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the apples are tender.

Remove the foil and let the apples cool slightly before serving.

Drizzle with additional sauce from the baking dish and serve warm, topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you want.