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1
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
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2
Liberally butter a baking dish that will hold the apples in a single layer without a lot of extra room.
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3
Pour in the white wine or apple juice.
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4
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, the 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, cinnamon, ginger, egg yolks, and lemon zest.
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5
Mash in the walnuts and dates.
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6
Using a melon baller, remove the stem end of the apple, then dig out the core, making sure to remove all the tough bits and seeds, but dont cut through the bottom.
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7
With a vegetable peeler, remove a 1-inch (3-cm) ring of the skin from around the top of the cavity.
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8
Stuff the apples with the walnut-date mixture, but do not overfill.
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9
Brush the exposed flesh of the apples with the 2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) melted butter.
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10
Arrange the apples in the baking dish and bake until a sharp paring knife inserted into the apples meets no resistance, 30 to 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the liquid in the dish.
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11
If the filling is browning too quickly, drape the apples loosely with aluminum foil as they bake.
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12
These apples beg to be served warm, drizzled with the pan juices and topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143), White ChocolateGinger Ice Cream (page 149), frothy Cider Sabayon (page 238), or simply on their own.
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13
Baked apples can be cooked in advance then covered loosely with foil and rewarmed in a moderate oven before serving.
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14
Vary the pan juices by using 1/4 cup (60 ml) rum or whiskey with 1/4 cup (60 ml) apple juice.
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15
Use a firm-fleshed apple, one that will resist falling apart during baking, such as Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pippin, Rome Beauty, or Winesap.
