Black Apples with Almonds & Raisins
Originating in Spain, this is a traditional food of Rosh HaShanah:
6 large apples, for baking
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter*, melted and cooled
85 gr. blanched almonds, lightly toasted
and ground
3 Tbsp. raisins
3 Tbsp. light rum
3 egg yolks
lemon juice as required
In a small saucepan, mix together the rum
and raisins with 5 Tbsp. of water. Heat gently
until warm. Remove from the heat and let stand.
Peel and core the apples, leaving a base
of about 1/2" (1 cm.) at the bottom and
a hollowed cylinder of 1 1/2" (4 cm.)
in diameter. Rub the apples with lemon juice
to prevent discoloration. In a small bowl,
mix together the egg yolks, 6 Tbsp. of the
sugar, the almonds and the butter. Drain the
raisins - reserving the liquid - and add them
to the egg mixture.
Fill each apple with about 2 Tbsp. of the
filling. Place them in a shallow ovenproof
pan and pour in the liquid reserved from the
raisins. Pour in another 1/2 cup of water
and the remaining sugar. Bake in a medium
oven, basting occasionally and adding more
water if the pan dries out. Cover and bake
about 15 minutes longer until the apples are
tender. Serve hot or warm.
* If serving the apples with a meat-based
meal, substitute parve margarine for the butter.