Recipe: Maple baked apples with dried fruit and nuts

Note: Adapted from Claudia Fleming's "The Last Course."

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons roughly chopped dried cherries

3 tablespoons chopped dried figs

2 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted sliced almonds

2 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted pecans

6 large firm baking apples, cored but not peeled

3 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces

1/2 cup apple cider

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cherries, figs, almonds and pecans.

2. Place the apples in a baking pan or casserole dish and stuff their cavities with the fruit and nut mixture. Place a piece of butter on top of the stuffing.

3. Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into the bottom of the baking pan and bake the apples, basting every 5 to 7 minutes, until they are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.

4. When the apples are tender, transfer them to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep them warm. Strain the pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture until it becomes syrupy and reduces to a sauce, about 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon over the apples and serve immediately.

Each serving: 275 calories; 2 grams protein; 56 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 15 mg. cholesterol; 10 mg. sodium.