HONEY BAKED APPLES

Steps:

• Put apricot pieces, wine and sugar in small saucepan; bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes; add raisins and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes; remove from heat and stir in butter until it is melted; stir in lemon zest and cashews and cool completely (can be prepared to this point up to 1 day in advance; cover and refrigerate)
• Peel and core the apples, then cut in half lengthwise, resulting in 6 halves with an indentation down the length; as each one is peeled and cored, rub with reserved lemon juice to discourage discolouration; place apples, rounded side down, in glass baking dish just large enough to hold them in one layer; evenly distribute apricot filling amongst the 6 apple halves, mounding slightly at middle
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• In a small saucepan, bring all the honey syrup ingredients, plus any lemon juice remaining, to the boil; boil rapidly for 5 minutes to thicken syrup slightly, being careful not to let mixture boil over; remove from heat and spoon over apples
• Bake apples until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 45-55 minutes, basting 3-4 times; allow to cool 20 minutes before serving
• These baked apples are very rich and an excellent contrast would be some crème fraiche, thick greek yoghurt or sour cream; a dollop on each apple, with some of the juices spooned over, is very nice